Inhibition
by sillycucumber
Summary: Release your Inhibition, feel the rain on your skin.' A prank pulled on Hermione might just be the best thing that's ever happened to her. 'Complete'
1. Chapter 1

New story, hooray! Don't expect this one to be lengthy either; I'm just having fun at the moment until I can get the energy to write a really good, deep fanfic. Still, I hope you enjoy it, just for a giggle. Not set in any specific timeline, and any details will of course be AU.

Disclaimer: No, I don't own this. If I did own this, you could be certain some people would still be alive, if you get my drift!

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It was another of those freakishly warm days at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Not really stifling, but hot enough for students to be pardoned from wearing their robes and heavy woolen jumpers. The hot lunches usually served at lunch were replaced with icy cold Pumpkin juice, salad sandwiches and packets of Ice Mice for after. None of the students seemed to find any of these changes a problem. In fact, many of them were taking full advantage of the rare leniency they were receiving in regards to their dress.

But, as always, there was one black sheep who preferred to stick out.

Harry Potter sighed and flopped down in the seat beside his best friend, Hermione Granger, and instantly seized a pitcher of Pumpkin juice.

"Whoa, stifling today eh?" he said airily, pouring himself a good helping.

Hermione, who had not had a bite of her chicken and salad roll, simply Hmm'd in answer, her eyes not wavering from the books and parchment laid out in front of her.

He looked at her and frowned. "Hermione, its lunchtime."

"I'm aware of the time, thank you, Harry." She said, jotting down notes on her large piece of parchment.

"Then you'd know that when it's Lunchtime, the normal thing to do is to do a little thing we call 'eating'." He said, rolling up his shirt sleeves.

She sighed irritably, looking up only to give him a quick, reproachable look. "I can't eat lunch."

"Sure you can. See, you just open your mouth and put food in there, and then you start chewing…"

Hermione shot him a glare. "Your sarcasm is very unwanted at the moment."

Harry smiled at her. "I'm just teasing. What's all this, then?" he asked, leaning against her shoulder and peering down at her notes. Her perfect, slanted handwriting took up nearly every inch of the parchment.

"Revision for Charms – something you _could_ be doing." She said, giving him a look.

"Exams aren't for another four months." He sighed, going back to his meal. They had done this dance many times in the past, and always with the same outcome.

"That's hardly the point, now is it?" she bristled, going back to her homework. "If you studied it all now, then you wouldn't have to cram at the end of the year, trying to remember everything. You know, there have been studies conducted about revision, and the results say that if you revise your work the night you get it, you'll remember it more easily down the track than simply cramming ten minutes before a test."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, and other studies have showed that if you don't eat your lunch, you'll pass out. Now eat something, will you?" he laughed, shoving a plate in front of her.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I'm fine, really." She said, pushing the plate away.

Harry pushed it back in front of her and plucked the quill out of her hand. "Humor me." He said seriously, giving her a look.

Hermione watched his face for a moment, before finally relenting. "Oh alright. Maybe the break will help me concentrate better." She said, reaching for some food.

"That wasn't really me intention, but it'll do." chuckled Harry, digging into his own meal.

The two of them continued to eat on content silence for a while longer, neither really feeling the need to fill up the silence with pointless small-talk. They had been friends for far too long to feel any sort of discomfort in lengthy silences.

And besides, it was rude to talk with your mouth full.

After a few minutes of content silence, Harry and Hermione both looked up at the sound of two very familiar voices become louder and louder as they approached the Gryffindor Table.

"…dressing like that! What would the teachers say?"

"They said we could dress like this, Ron! It's hot, for Merlin's sake!"

"Not hot enough to be wearing practically nothing, though! Look at you, Ginny! Cant you put a robe on or something?"

"I am _hot_, Ronald. Incase you didn't notice, the girl uniform has _always_ been a skirt and shirt. I'm not breaking any rules!"

"It's not what you're wearing; it's how you're bloody wearing it! Harry, back me up here!"

Ron and Ginny sat down across from Harry and Hermione, Ron looking very upset and Ginny looking insulted. Ginny was, indeed, wearing the uniform as she had always done. She had simply unbuttoned a few buttons near the collar, shortened her skirt a little and rolled her sleeves up.

Harry cleared his throat and blinked, realizing he was staring. "No, she looks fine."

"The hell she does!" snapped Ron, quite obviously annoyed that Harry was not taking his side. "Look at the state of this! Its ruddy ridiculous, parading around like some sort of…"

"What?" snapped Ginny, whirling on her brother and giving him a very deadly glare. "Like some sort of _what_?"

Ron swallowed, realizing now just how much danger he was in. "I was just…what I meant…"

"No, go on, say it." Growled Ginny, her eyes narrowed. "I _dare_ you."

"What I meant to say,' said Ron loudly. "Was that why can't you just dress like…like…like Hermione?" he said, gesturing to his best friend across the table.

"I'll thank you not to bring me into this!" said Hermione, frowning at Ron.

Harry smiled to himself. Only Ron could have two of the feistiest girls at Hogwarts angry at him at the same time.

Ginny, as if only just realizing Hermione was there, forgot all about Ron for the moment and looked at her best friend in concern. "Hermione, aren't you boiling?"

Indeed, Hermione was dressed as if it were the middle of winter. She was still dressed immaculately in her uniform, her shirt buttons done right up and her tie secure around her neck. She had her Gryffindor robes over all of it and even had her hair out.

Hermione sighed and pushed away her empty plate, replacing it with her notes once more. "Perhaps, but that's no reason to discontinue setting a good example. You know, I'm Head Girl…"

"Really? We didn't know that." Muttered Ron sarcastically.

Hermione threw him a look. "…And it's bad enough the students wear their uniforms they way they do, even when they aren't overheated."

"But, we have permission to dress like this." Said Ron, also now looking at Hermione as if she had gone mad.

"Which is a big change for you, isn't it?" she said.

"What's that meant to mean?"

"You always dress like a slob." She said, giving Ron a smile.

"I do _not_…"

"Hermione, really, you could get heat stroke or something." Said Harry, feeling hot just looking at her. "Maybe if you just took your robe off…"

"Honestly, I'm fine!" she laughed, giving them all a look. "I appreciate your concern, I do. But if I wasn't alright, I certainly wouldn't be silly enough not to do anything about it."

The other three looked a little doubtful, but said nothing about it to her.

Ginny shook her head and smiled, getting herself a Pumpkin juice. "Really, Hermione, you're eighteen, not thirty. You're allowed to not be so proper all the time. Take a day off homework, dress more outgoing, let your hair down – or up, in this case. Honestly, how can you _breathe_ under all that?"

Ron and Harry laughed. Not looking up from her work, Hermione simply smiled.

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On the other side of the hall, the four Gryffindors had no idea how closely they were being watched as they joked. One single, solitary person sat eerily still, watching the Head Girl with an unbreakable determination.

"Can you believe her?" she said, her eyes narrowing. "I mean, really, Millie, _look_ at her."

Millicent Bullstrode looked around, blinking. "What? Sorry, Pansy, I zoned out."

Pansy Parkinson sighed impatiently. "Do try and keep up, will you? I talking about Miss Perfect, the Gryffindor Mudblood queen sitting over there." She snapped, her eyes flashing.

Millicent rolled her eyes. "Oh, not Granger _again_? Honestly, don't you ever complain about anyone else?"

Pansy shook her head, her eyes locked on bushy hair. "No, no-one else gets to me the way she does."

Millicent looked at Pansy, picking nuts out of a bowl in front of her. It used to scare her a little, the way Pansy obsessed about Hermione Granger. She didn't know where it started, or why even. It was like her life's mission to attempt to make Granger's life as bad as she could. From right back when they first started school, all the way up to now. As a prefect, Pansy was deliberately antagonistic and disruptive, just so she could see Granger blow up in anger and irritation. When they had been forced together in potions, Pansy would try and sabotage whatever it was they had been working on, just so she could see Granger get upset and completely forgetting about her own marks.

But, now, Millicent was far too used to this part of Pansy to care or try and stop it. Because, after all, it was kind of amusing to see Granger crumble. The up-tight priss, who always did as she was told and never took a step out of line, was just too irresistible to prank and torment.

"Just look at her, sitting there, dressed up like the bloody Minister of Magic's coming at any moment." Sneered Pansy, running her fingernail around the rim of her goblet in slow circles. "Merlin forbid the girl show a bit of skin for once in her entire life."

"She must be boiling." Agreed Millicent, loosening the collar of her shirt. "Maybe it's a Mudblood thing."

"No, I don't see that Finch-Fletchley dressed up, or those Creevy dimwits." Said Pansy. She ran a hand through her hair and fanned herself, her eyes still locked on the Golden Trio and their newest Weasley tag-a-long. Oh, how she longed to break up their perfect little world. It was something she fantasized about often.

"Well, she's Head Girl." Said Millicent, shrugging her beefy shoulders.

Pansy shot her a look. "Thank you, I needed to be reminded about that."

"I'm just _saying_, maybe she thinks she has to act the part all the time, and to hell with what she wants or how she feels."

"Hmm,' sniffed Pansy, smirking and looking back at Granger. Potter must have just said something amusing, as the three baboons around her were all laughing…but, Granger not so much.

Maybe a part of what Millicent had said was true. Granger really did look stifling, and yet she was dressed immaculately in her full uniform and robes. Everything Granger did, it was to the fullest extent. She got tops marks in everything, was always the first to master any new spell the did in class, she constantly studied or had her nose in a book…did the girl even have time to sleep? She was always doing _something_, or if she wasn't, she was pushing herself into doing something more. What would happen if she stopped doing it for a week? If she just stopped worrying and did nothing? Most likely, she'd either combust from the effort, or would kill herself with the humiliation of her precious 'Know-it-all' reputation being ruined.

And Pansy's lip curled up into a smirk.

Millicent frowned at her friend. "Oh no, I know that look." She said, moving away a little. Pansy was smiling like a madwoman. "What are you planning now, then?"

"Meet me in the library after dinner tonight, and you'll find out."

And with one last smirk across at the Gryffindor, Pansy gathered up her books and headed off to prepare herself for her greatest prank ever.

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After stacking her books in a neat pile beside her bed, Hermione then proceeded to fold her clothes that had just come back from the laundry, place them neatly in her trunk and sort them out in order for the next week. She then turned down her bed, fed Crookshanks his treats and opened the window for him if, by the slim chance, he wanted some air. It was rather warm up in the tower, after all.

Hermione straightened up from stacking up her socks and exhaled slowly, wiping beads of sweat away from her brow with the back of her sleeve. She felt a little lightheaded, but simply took it for standing up too fast.

She preened herself as she headed out of the room, straightening up her skirt, fixing her tie and smoothing out her windcheater. Adjusting the red badge on her robes, she paused at the top of the stairs and fanned her face.

_Soon as rounds are over, it's a long cold bath for me_. She thought, trying to banish the red from her face. _I do hope this heat wave doesn't last all week!_

Pulling herself together, she drew herself up importantly and marched the down into the common room. It was less of a hive of activity as it usually was, as people were either walking the corridors of the castle, beckoning a non-existent cool breeze from outside, or were up in their rooms. Being one of the higher parts of the castle, the tower was very warm indeed, and the fireplaces were thankfully dead.

But, predictably, there were still three familiar faces over by the window.

"Ron!"

Ron looked up quickly from the chessboard between him and Harry as Hermione crossed over to him from the stairs. "What have I done now?" he asked, ignoring Harry's sniggers.

"We have rounds." Said Hermione, putting her hands on her hips.

Ron frowned and went back to the game. "No, _you_ have rounds."

"No, _we_ have rounds. I want you to help me tonight."

"Why me?"

Hermione stared at him in horror. "Because, Ronald, you're a Prefect, and part of being a prefect means you have to participate in…"

"…supervising the students, doing weekly rounds, blah blah blah, Hermione, I've heard all this before." Said Ron flatly, moving his knight and taking Harry's pawn.

"Then you would _also_ know,' she growled, her eyes narrowing. "That as Head Girl, I have the right to elect any prefect to assist me in any of these duties… and I'm electing you. And whether you like it or not, you're helping me."

Ron glared up at her. "But why _me_?"

"Because…' she stuttered, obviously a little thrown at this question.

Harry covered his mouth with his hand, trying desperately not to laugh at the two of them. Sometimes, they really were two of the daftest blighters he had ever met.

"Well…because I _said_, Ron! You cant just spend all your free time playing silly chess games, and seen as you're not doing anything productive like homework and studying or revising your class notes, assuming of course you actually _have_ any…"

"_Alright_!" cried Ron standing up to his full height of 6'1. "God, you could nag a paraplegic into walking, you could."

Hermione smiled, looking satisfied. "Thank you, now hurry up."

"I'm coming, you Prefect Nazi. Shut up, Harry!" snapped Ron, walking out of the common room behind Hermione, a hunch to his shoulder.

Harry continued laughing to himself. He watched as Ginny moved over from the sofa to sit opposite him. "Is it just me, or do those two remind you of…"

"My mother and father?" offered Ginny with a grin. "Thank Merlin; I thought I was the only one who had spotted that."

"Rather pathetic, really."

"Oh stop it, they're cute." Giggled Ginny, crossing one leg over the other. She leaned back into her chair with a sigh and pulled her hair up away from her neck, enjoying the cool breeze.

Harry watched her out of the corner of his eye, knowing full well that he really shouldn't. The two of them hadn't really had a lot of time in the company of one another since they had broken up, and it was in moments like this, where there was no Ron or Hermione or anyone else to distract him, that Harry realized just how much he seemed to miss her. They were still friends if nothing else, but sometimes it took a little bit more effort for Harry to remember himself around her and not touch or hold her the way he used to.

Clearing his throat, Harry sat up straighter. "So, er…you wanna have a game?"

"You don't want to wait until Ron gets back?" she asked, letting her hair flop.

"Nah, knowing Hermione she'll want every nook and cranny of this castle checked before she feels satisfied – not to mention he's kicking my arse anyway."

Ginny laughed and nodded. "Sure, okay."

---------------

"I still don't see why _I_ had to come with you."

"You were the only Prefect close enough to me at the time, and I didn't want to go scouring the castle for everyone else!"

"Why couldn't you ask Ernie to do it with you? You only saw him at dinner."

"Ernie has more important things to be doing at the moment than rounds."

"Oh, like what? Shining his Head Boy badge and adjusting it on his robes just right so when he sticks his chest out, it catches the right amount of light to make it gleam?"

"I said Ernie, not Percy."

Ron laughed and shoved his hands in his pockets, giving her a look of mock surprise. "Wait, hang on…was that…I think it was! Did you just make a _joke_?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, unable to hide a little smile. "Yes, well, contrary to popular belief, I actually have something of a sense of humor."

"You do? Where?" asked Ron, stopping their progress down the hall by grabbing her arm, and looking into her face as if searching for something. Hermione smiled and looked up at the ceiling as he continued to study her. "Mmm, must be in there somewhere…maybe we should get a pair of Omnoculars."

She pushed him away and straightened up her robes. "Thank you, very much."

"Aw, come on. You know I'm just fooling." He chuckled, falling into step beside her once again.

"Yes, I seem to be the butt of a lot of jokes today."

So far, they had checked most of the upper floors of the castle, and the only disturbances they had run across had been a pair of younger Hufflepuffs making out in a supply closet, and Peeves, who had been writing very crude messages on the blackboards of the classrooms. For Ron, it had been boring, tedious work, and he much rather would have preferred to be back in the Tower, playing chess with Harry.

But, there were upsides to doing rounds with Hermione as well.

Trying not to get caught staring at her out of the corner of his eye, he ruffled his hair and blew air out through his lips. "So, are we done yet?"

"No, we most certainly are not done yet." She said flatly, her eyes narrowed in suspicion as they prowled the corridors.

"Aren't you bored?" he asked incredulously. "Not even a teensy weensy little bit?"

Hermione sighed. "How I feel about rounds is irrelevant. They need to be done…"

"That wasn't my question, Hermione." Said Ron, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. "Its bloody boiling, you're dressed like you're going to Antarctica, and we're doing rounds with nothing to look at but gungy old portraits, stony walls and each other's faces. You can't possibly find this the highlight of your day, can you?"

"Ron…" she started to yell, but she sighed and looked down at her feet. She paused for a moment, before rubbing her eyes. "We should split up; we can cover more ground that way."

"Hermione…"

"I'll take the rest of the upper floors and you can do the rest, including the dungeons."

"But, Hermione…"

"We'll meet back at the Great Hall after and compare notes, alright?"

"But, Hermione, what about…"

"_Alright_?" she said more insistently, giving him a look.

Ron frowned down at her. Why had she changed the subject? It was obvious she had wanted to say something else to him. But, she was looking at him now with that steely determination he was so used to, and he was simply not in the mood to butt heads with her.

"Fine, whatever." He sighed.

She smiled and nodded. "Good. See you in about an hour then."

Ron shook his head as he watched her walk off down the corridor and out of sight. Why was she so…_uptight_ all the time? She was a normal, teenage girl. Surely she couldn't find all this responsibility and duty _fun_. Given, yes, she was a bit of a freak when it came to studying and homework and deadlines, but she was still human.

"Stubborn ninny." He muttered to himself.

And with one last look down the empty corridor, he went off in the opposite direction.

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Hermione didn't see anything else on her search of the upper floors. Either it really was too hot for students to be bothered walking around at night or word had spread around that she was on duty, and everyone had scampered.

She smiled smugly to herself. It was a nice feeling to know that she could keep people in line without even having to be seen by them. She didn't scare them, she knew that much. But she did know that she was known to be strict and would not hesitate to take points or give detention if she had to.

It was, after all, her duty as Head Girl.

She rounded another corner and entered the hallway out the front of the Library. She knew possibly ever detail about this corridor, from the dent in the door that lead into the main room, to the green tinge to the floor where there had been a massive potion spill nearly a hundred years ago, to the scorch marks on the opposite wall where, it had been rumored, that Snape had had a duel with a certain Head Boy in his youth.

Hermione went over to the door, ready to enquire to Madam Pince if she had seen anyone around that shouldn't be, when two figures came around and adjacent hallway, their heads bent together and apparently in deep conversation.

"Excuse me,' said Hermione importantly, drawing herself up. "What do you two think you're doing up at this hour?"

The two figures stopped and looked around at Hermione. She recognized them instantly, and only felt her indignation morph into irritation and utter dislike.

"Just going for a walk, Granger." Sneered Pansy Parkinson, exchanging a look with Millicent Bulstrode beside her. "Not illegal last time I heard."

"It is at this hour." Said Hermione closing the distance between them. "You both should be in your Common Room – it's after curfew."

"I'm a Prefect, as you well know." Said Pansy with a smirk. "I'm more than allowed out."

"You are – she's not." Said Hermione, pointing at Millicent, but keeping her eyes locked on Pansy's smug face.

"'_She's not'_?" cried Millicent angrily, taking a step forward. "What am I, chopped Flubberworm? I'm not just some boulder, Granger!"

Hermione rolled her eyes impatiently. "I'd apologize, but I know there's really no point. Now, both of you get back to your common room before I take house points."

Millicent flared up again and went to take another step forward, but Pansy put a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.

"Sure Granger, our mistake." Said Pansy slowly, giving Hermione a very false smile. "We'll just toddle off now like good little minions, wont we Millicent?" she said, giving Millicent a significant look.

"Oh, yeah. Sure thing." Nodded Millicent, plastering the same false smile on her face.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. Quite obviously, the two of them were hiding something. But, there was no evidence that so far they had done anything wrong, and Hermione therefore had nothing to go on but a very large suspicion.

Pansy smiled sweetly as Hermione and went to move, when something fell out of her bag and smashed onto the floor. Hermione coughed and spluttered as a red vapor rose up from the smashed vial, its contents spilt all over the stone floor.

"Oh, how clumsy of me!" cried Pansy, her face covered with her sleeve just like Millicent. "Let me clean that up."

"No!" cried Hermione, coughing and fanning her face. She was feeling a little lightheaded. "Just go, will you?"

Pansy shrugged. "Suit yourself. Have a nice night, Granger!"

And, sniggering, she and Millicent left the way they had come.

Hermione glared after them and pulled out her wand, still coughing as the vapor seemed to coat the air in a thick, invisible fog. "_Sc-courgify_." She spluttered. The potion, or whatever it had been, vanished leaving only broken shred of glass as any evidence that an accident had happened at all. She fixed the vial, pocketed it and coughed her lungs free of the vapor, her mind going into overdrive.

_What the blazes was that stuff? Ha! Accident my ass. She dropped that on purpose. It can't have been an illegal substance, could it? But, then again, this _is_ Pansy Parkinson we're talking about here. I don't feel much different, a little light-headed, but I've been feeling like that all day. _

She spluttered a little more and looked around. She was completely alone.

_I should go to the infirmary, just to be sure. Oh, but I have to meet Ron at the Great Hall, and don't have time to do both. _

Hermione cleared her throat of phlegm and gave herself one last assessment. She seemed fine. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened and she didn't seem in any immediate danger. She wasn't growing any extra limbs, her hair was still the same colour, she hadn't changed form or shape or species…perhaps the potion had been a dud, simply to scare her.

Pushing aside her irritation, she drew herself up importantly and headed off to the Great Hall, knowing that if anything happened, she could always go to the infirmary tomorrow.

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"Tell me again how this is going to work."

Pansy rolled her eyes and flopped down on her bed, Millicent taking the one beside her. Their dormitory was relatively empty, as most of the other girls were still sitting up in the Common room.

"How many times to I have to go over it? All she had to do was breathe in the fumes; she didn't have to drink it. Which is lucky, because there is no way in hell I would have been able to spike her goblet." Added Pansy, taking off her tie and throwing it to the floor.

"Which is why you wanted me to keep my distance,' said Millicent, nodding with a smile. "So I wouldn't breathe it in."

"Yes, exactly."

"So, when do we start to see it working?"

Pansy smirked and undid the buttons of her shirt. "It's a slow-release spell. It'll start tomorrow, but will probably take a few days before it really starts to show."

Millicent laughed. "Ah, this is going to be brilliant! Wish we had one of those muggle video things so we could catch it, and watch it over and over again when we're bored or feeling particularly vindictive."

Pansy smiled and stood up to change. "Yes, I know, I'm brilliant."

"You don't think she suspected anything, do you?" asked Millicent, getting ready for bed as well.

"Of course she did. She's not 'Know-it-all' Granger for no reason, Millie." Said Pansy. "But, she's got nothing to go on. There are too many potions it could have been, and she has no idea where to start and work it out."

Millicent, changed and ready, slipped under her sheets with a laugh. "I can't wait for tomorrow, just to see the looks on everyone's faces." She said dreamily.

Pansy smirked and crossed to the window, looking out onto the silver, moonlit grounds. "Me neither, Millie, me neither."

* * *

A/N – So, how was that for a first chapter? Grab your interest? Let me know!

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2! Wow, didn't expect such an overwhelming response for the first chapter! I was so glad you all liked it. Hopefully I can make this story really worth while!

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The first thing Hermione did the next morning, was leap out of bed and rush to the nearest full-length mirror. Ignoring the fact that her hair was very messy, her eyes were read and puffy from fatigue and her pajamas were crumpled on one side, she took a better look at the finer details of her body and face, making sure not to overlook one solitary new thing.

_Okay, lets see now…no facial hair, good…nose is still mercifully straight…dimples are still in place…teeth aren't jagged, yellow or falling out…arms are still attached…eyes are still in sockets… _

On and on this inspection went, each feature of her body and face passing the test with flying colours. It seemed nothing of her physical appearance had been altered at all from that potion Pansy had 'Accidentally-on-purpose' spilt last night. Hermione hadn't been affected in any way at all, and she certainly didn't _feel_ any different. Her wooziness was all but a distant memory of the night before.

She sighed and let her arms flop, frowning at her reflection. It made no sense, though. Why would Pansy have gone to all the trouble of making sure she ran across Hermione in the hallway, completely alone, for there to be no affects of a potion she had obviously taken the time out of her day to concoct for some sinister reason?

_Maybe it really was a dud._ She thought to herself, peering into her face. _It wouldn't surprise me…Lord knows she could do better with her potions efforts… _

"Er-mynee?" came a muffled voice.

Hermione spun around to see Parvati's head peeking through the gap in the drapes of her 4 poster, still in bed, lying on her stomach but resting up on her elbows. Her dark brown hair was tousled messily and her eyes were still half shut.

"Whazu doin'?" she whispered, looking confused.

"I was just… looking." Said Hermione, blushing. "Sorry, did I wake you?"

Parvati yawned and shook her head. "S'time to get up?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, its quarter past six."

"Quarter pas'…no _way_!"

And with that, Parvati flopped back down into bed, pulling the curtains shut around her bed once more.

Hermione smiled and looked back at herself. If there really was nothing wrong with her, maybe she could go back to be for a little while longer. Normally, she was up this time of the morning, right at the crack of dawn in preparation for her day. She would get up, get dressed, sort out her needed text books for the day and head down to wait for Ron and Harry for breakfast.

She looked at her bed wistfully, moaning as she thought of how warm the folds of her blankets were; so thick and comfortable. She'd gotten all her books ready the night before…maybe, just this once…

Decided, Hermione climbed back into her bed and pulled the covers right up to her chin. She snuggled into them with a content smile and sighed. It was only quarter past six; she had ages until she had to get up.

Maybe she could sleep in a bit, just this once.

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"She's late."

Harry rolled his eyes and stabbed his eggs again with his fork. "She's a girl, what do you expect?"

Sitting across from him, Ron shook his head, his eyes locked on the doors of the Great Hall. "No way, it's _Hermione_. She's always up before us. She's _never_ late."

"It's cute that you fuss over her punctuality, Ron – really, my heart is all aflutter,' said Harry flatly as Ginny sat down beside him. 'But you needn't worry about her. Like you said, it _is_ Hermione."

"Hmm." Said Ron looking doubtful as he turned back around. "You haven't seen her this morning, have you, Gin?"

Ginny shook her head, her mouth full of toast. "Nrope. Shesh ushually down 'ere awready."

"Swallow, will you? You sound like Grawp." Laughed Ron, giving Ginny a look.

"She's probably talking to a professor about getting only ninety nine percent on an essay or something." Said Harry casually. "Not the first time Hermione's put homework before food or the fate of the free world, now is it?"

Ron laughed, feeling a little better. "Yeah, true."

Truthfully, he was a little worried about her. She'd been late meeting him back at the Great Hall last night after rounds, and when she had finally shown up she looked a little pale and had been coughing a bit. Stubborn as she was, however, she insisted nothing was wrong, had given him her progress report and had marched back up off to bed. But he wasn't silly… he knew something was wrong. Maybe it was nothing but simple paranoia on his part. She'd only seemed a little tired, after all.

"See, _there_ she is. Call off the search party!" Laughed Ginny, nodding her head at the entrance doors.

Ron whirled around as let out a silent breath of relief as Hermione walked up toward them, thankfully dressing a little more sensible. The days were still very warm, but she was no longer dressed like she was from Durmstrang. Her robes were gone and the top button of her shirt was undone. Her sleeves were rolled up and her tie was loose, and she looked very well-rested. She was still rugged up far too much, in his opinion, but it was a little better than yesterday.

"Morning all." Beamed Hermione, sitting herself down beside Ron.

"Where the blazes have you been, then?" blurted out Ron.

Hermione frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

"He's been in a bit of a state,' chuckled Harry, exchanging a mocking smile with Ginny. 'Thought you'd been abducted by aliens and was being subjected to anal probing, or something along those dramatic lines."

"I was _not_!" snapped Ron angrily; trying desperately not to blush at the surprised look Hermione was giving him as Harry and Ginny laughed. "It's just…you weren't in the common room this morning when we came down, and I wondered if you'd slept in."

"Oh, well, I did." Said Hermione pleasantly. "Just a little; rather rough night, you see. Kept waking up and couldn't relax."

"_Couldn't relax_?" laughed Ginny, piling up her plate with a second helping. "Wow, there's something new and different.

Hermione threw her a look.

But Harry and Ron were staring at Hermione in amazement. "You…really did sleep in, then?" asked Harry.

Hermione frowned at the two boys. "Yes, only a little."

"You feeling alright?" asked Ron, looking at her as if she'd just grown a wart on her nose.

"Oh, what, like you two have never overslept!" she snapped irritably. Honestly, they were being rather hypocritical, in her opinion. What did it matter if she slept in a little? She was allowed, wasn't she?

"No need to get snarky, Hermione." Said Harry, exchanging a look with Ron. "Just a bit different, is all. You're normally up before the rooster crows."

"Anyway, new subject." Said Ginny, waving her hands dismissively as if announcing the subject closed. "Ron, did you survive rounds last night, or where they a torture beyond mortal comprehension?"

Ron laughed, a little surprised to see Hermione simply shake her head and smile. "No, they were alright I guess. I only saw these four little Ravenclaw second years down near the Entrance hall. They reckon they 'forgot' about curfew, which, I told them, was a very likely story, considering what they were doing."

"Why, what were they doing?" asked Harry, checking his watch. They still had ten minutes before they had to head off.

Without saying a word, Ron reached into his bag at his feet, rummaged around for a moment and then pulled out what looked like a very small gumball machine. He placed it on the table and smiled smugly.

"Little toe rags were trying to get into the potions storeroom to get more ingredients. I reckon they were going to try and make their own candy." He said, looking very amused. "Ha! And I thought Ravenclaws were meant to be _smart_."

Harry leant forward in interest. He'd never seen one of these things before. It looked like something you would find at Weasley Wizards Wheezes. In the main dome where gumballs would have sat, was a misty fog rather like a Remembrall. The colours changed every few moments, never the same shade twice.

"What is it?" he asked Ginny.

She smiled. "Candy-maker. It's for kids who want to try their hand at making their own sweets. It's a Zonko's thing, really. You put in the ingredients you want, tap the dome with your wand, and out pops a lollie or a chocolate. Trouble is, you never know what it's going be or what it's going to taste like."

"You didn't show me that last night." Said Hermione to Ron, looking at the Candy maker with distant interest.

Ron shrugged and slipped some bacon pieces up the shoot that normally would have been used for change. "Figured I could keep it for a while."

"Keep it for yourself?" asked Hermione, her eyes narrowing in his direction.

He shrugged. "Yeah, why not? I've always wanted one of these, and I'm certainly not barmy enough to sneak down into the dungeons and try and make some illegal substances.' He looked at the machine for a moment, then up at Harry. "Pretty ambitious when you think about it, weren't they? Only twelve, and already they're trying to mix up illegal substances."

Harry smiled and opened his mouth to comment, when Hermione got in first.

"Ron, you can't keep that!"

"Why not?"

"Because the right to confiscate objects from students, does not also give you the right to take your pick at whatever you like. Besides,' She said, raising her eyebrows. 'What on earth would you do with it?"

"Oh, I don't know,' smiled Ron cheekily, picking it up again and examining it. "I could sell some 'chocolate' to the Slytherin Quidditch team, and by coincidence, they wouldn't be able to get off the loo long enough to get up in the air."

Hermione laughed, receiving another round of shocked looks from her three companions. "That's hardly good sportsmanship." She chuckled, reaching for a discarded copy of the Daily Prophet.

"Oh yeah, because they're such good sports to us, aren't they?" said Ron sarcastically.

"Still, you're not really allowed to keep that thing, Ron. Its abusing your position." Said Hermione, reading over the front page of the paper.

Ron smiled and nudged her playfully with his elbow. "Well, it's all a question of _angles_, really, isn't it? It all depends on the way you look at it. I confiscated it because it wasn't allowed, not because I wanted it for myself. So, really, I wasn't abusing my position…I was living up to it!"

Harry and Ginny laughed to themselves at the innocent smile Ron was giving Hermione. He didn't know when exactly Ron had become such a smooth talker, but it seemed to get himself out of more then enough scrapes. Hermione, however, never fell for his long-winded explanations.

So, it was more than a shock when she simply gave him a long look, sighed and shrugged.

"Well, alright. If you want it, keep it – but go ask McGonagall or something first." She said, going back to her paper.

Ron's mouth fell open; Ginny dropped her fork with a clatter and Harry's eyes widened. Hermione seemed oblivious to this as she simply turned over to page three and continued reading, steadily spooning cereal into her mouth.

Ron looked at the other two, just to make sure he hadn't heard wrong. Hermione was letting him off far too easily for him not to have a large amount of suspicion rise up inside him. He waited, the moment stretching out longer and longer as he waited for her to snap at him that she was joking, and that of course he could not keep it…

But it didn't come.

Not really wanting to push his extraordinary amount of luck too far, Ron asked tentively, "Er, are you sure?"

"Hmm?' she said, looking up at him from her paper. 'Oh, yes, of course. Just make sure you get permission first! If you don't get it, you have to hand it over to McGonagall as soon as possible, alright?"

Ron nodded stupidly, not quite believing he was getting away with this so easily. "Yeah, sure… okay."

Hermione gave him another smile and went back to her paper.

"Well, er…' said Ginny, still giving Hermione looks. "We'd better start heading off. I've got Muggles studies; I don't know about you three…"

"Defense." Said Harry, slowly recovering. "Unless, Hermione, you want to finish eating…"

"No, I'm done." Said Hermione instantly, dropping her spoon back in the bowl and folding up the paper. "I want to get my books set up before everyone starts arriving, not to mention getting a seat up the front…the view of the blackboard is _ghastly_ at the back…"

Ron smiled and stood up with her. _Now_ she was acting more like herself.

----------

As always, the Charms classroom was a hive of muttered spells, things flying randomly through the air and occasionally the sound of something exploding. It had always been the perfect class in which to let your mind wander from the task you were meant to be doing, to something you really weren't.

And it was the perfect opportunity for Ron to watch Hermione out of the corner of his eye without anyone, especially her, noticing.

It wasn't the first time he had watched her. Normally his eyes strayed to her general proximity, whether the reason be to copy her notes, see how her hands were moving when she was casting a spell so he could mimic it, or to simply admire her. Not that he would have told anyone about the latter…that would be far too embarrassing – although he suspected that Harry had a fair idea about what was going on. That was humiliating enough on its own, let alone word getting out to everyone else.

But, today, he had a different agenda. Her behaviour from that morning was still ringing in the back of his mind, demanding further investigation. It was not like her to let him get off so easily, simply because he popped out some fancy excuse. She was far too smart to be charmed by a few simple, meaningless words.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, gripping the coin in his hand tightly. They were meant to be practicing the Protean Charm, and of course, Hermione had already mastered it. She was sitting two seats down from him next to Neville, her head bent over an open textbook and her wand in her hand. She was mouthing words to herself, moving her wand as the book instructed with a slight frown on concentration.

_Well, that seems ordinary enough._ He thought with a small smile.

True, the rest of the day's activities had gone rather normally. She was the first to answer in class to any question posed, she was the first to master a new spell they were learning, she spoke only to ask a question or to tell he and Harry off for goofing around and not paying attention…

And yet, there was just something different. He couldn't put his finger on it, and it had been driving him around the bend all day. Maybe he was still just a little shaken up by that morning. First her sleeping in on a weekday, then there was her letting him off so easily for taking his prefect duties so flippantly.

Maybe it was just that time of the month. He knew Ginny got very crabby and irritable during that time – perhaps Hermione, being the unique girl she was, worked the opposite way.

_Aw hell,_ he thought rubbing his eyes. _Now I'm trying to figure out girls and their girly problems. Let it go, Weasley, you prat! _

"Alright, class!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, tapping his wand on the stack of books he was standing on to get the attention of his pupils. "Had a good shot at it, I see."

The class all droned in answer, no-one particularly enthusiastic about their lack of success.

"Oh now, chins up! You can't all master a new, and not to mention particularly complicated, spell on simply your first attempt." Laughed Flitwick.

"Hermione did,' said Ernie from the other side of the room. He looked at Hermione and laughed. "She mastered it back in _fifth year_!"

Hermione smiled with an air of cockiness, leant back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. "I'm not a bookworm for no reason, Ernie. My brilliance goes without comment, but thank you anyway." She said, twirling her wand in her long fingers.

Everyone laughed, even Ron and Harry. It was certainly a change to see her actually admitting she was brilliant! Normally, she would clam up and try so hard to be modest and act like it was nothing special that could nearly combust with the effort. And yet, here she was, acting as though it were quite normal for people to worship and bask in her brilliance and inhuman-like intelligence.

"Ron? Ron!"

Ron jumped as Harry's harsh whispers broke through his train of thought. "Yeah, sorry, what?" he mumbled, tearing his eyes away from Hermione and focusing on his best friend beside him.

Harry snorted as Flitwick went into another in-depth explanation of the casting of this spell. "Training, tonight, you in?"

"Of course I'm in you git. What time?"

"I want to make it as near to curfew as possible, then the Slytherins can't get out there and rile you and Demelza up without there being a risk of them being caught out of their dorms without a legitimate reason." Said Harry in a low voice, a dark look crossing his eyes for a moment.

Ron nodded. "Yeah, sure…" but he stopped, as his eyes locked with a familiar pair of brown eyes. Hermione was looking at the two boys out of the corner of her eye, and she did not look at all impressed with their inattentiveness.

_Bugger, of all the times she had to be watching_. Thought Ron, giving Harry a look and tuning back into what it was the diminutive teacher was saying.

"… rather complex, and most people will not succeed the first time. However, that is why we are practicing it now, so when the time comes when you go for your NEWT's, you will be able to perform the charm on your first attempt."

Ron bit back a smile as he felt Harry slump in his chair beside him. While lately, he seemed very calm and collected about everything that had been going on; he knew that Harry was very stressed about his exams. They did, after all, determine whether or not he would be able to become an Auror.

"Now, then,' said Flitwick, clapping his hands together and giving them a rub. "Who can tell me a very well-known example in where the Protean Charm has been used recently?"

Instinctively, everyone remained silent and waited for the predictable arm of Hermione Granger to shoot up into the air like a bullet, almost knocking the person sitting beside her out of their chair and to the floor.

But, no hands went up into the air.

Ron, like everyone else (even Flitwick), looked around at Hermione in curiosity. Amazingly, she wasn't even listening to the class anymore. She was leaning back on the two back legs of her chair, completely engrossed in a book. Her eyes were darting back and forth without pause, and she probably was completely unaware of the entire class staring at her. She was blissfully ignorant to the fact that she was still in class, with her feet up on the desk. So much so that she could have been on another planet! In fact, now that Ron really looked at her, she looked almost _bored_, as if she would have preferred to be somewhere else than Advanced Charms, one of her favorite subjects…

A small, tentative cough shocked everyone back into reality. Susan Bones had her hand raised low in the air, a very nervous and uncertain look on her face.

Professor Flitwick cleared his throat and tore his eyes away from the Head Girl, hastily rearranging his expression of shock and disbelief into a neutral one.

"Yes, Miss Bones?" he squeaked.

Susan took one more look at Hermione, just to make sure she really wasn't going to answer, before muttering, "You-know-who uses is for…the Dark Mark. Amongst Death Eaters." She said, going red.

"Yes, very good Miss Bones! Now, as some of you might know, You-know-who effectively produced the charm to…"

Ron tuned out again, instead focusing all his attention on Hermione. She was still sitting there, looking very relaxed and comfortable, her large book open half way and resting her lap. She even had the end of a Sugar quill in her mouth and was chewing on it lazily.

Ron nudged Harry to get his attention, and then nodded in Hermione's direction. Harry took a quick glance at their bushy-haired best friend and nodded in total agreement.

_Had_ to be girl stuff.

--------

Hermione turned the page of her novel idly, enjoying the cool breeze that had finally taken a hold of the castle after another long, sweltering day. Her mind wasn't on the book as much as it could have been… she'd been particularly absentminded all day now.

_Eh, ah well_. She thought with an inward shrug, settling back into the sofa with a content smile. It was hard to find anything worrisome or troubling when you were the meat in a Weasley sandwich.

She was sitting in-between Ron and Ginny, with Harry lounging much undignified in the chair adjacent to them. Her position between the two siblings had unexpected consequences, none at all bad. Their very aura seemed to secret warmth and happiness and joy, and she felt tipsy and lightheaded as if being soaked in it.

In fact, now that she thought about it, she'd been feeling a little like that all day.

"What're you reading?" muttered Ginny suddenly in her ear.

Hermione smiled and leant her head against Ginny's shoulder, snuggling into her a little bit as Ron and Harry continued their endless conversation about their up-coming game against Hufflepuff.

"Just a muggle novel – Peter Pan.' She sighed happily. "I used to love this story as a girl."

"Peter _Pan_?' echoed Ginny, peering down at the pages. "Huh, what a name! Imagine being named after a muggle cooking utensil."

Hermione giggled, and Ginny gave her a curious look. It was quite a new development for Hermione to be leaning against her like this. Normally the older girl wasn't so girly or touchy-feely like this. It wasn't that Ginny minded, because she didn't at all. It was a nice change.

Harry let his eyes wander from Ron's face as the red-head spoke, just for a moment, and they locked with the two girls on the sofa. He didn't know why, but seeing them lying against one another like that sent a shiver up his spine and made his stomach clench. They weren't doing anything in particular; Hermione simply had her head in Ginny's shoulder, her knees drawn up under her, and Ginny had her cheek resting on Hermione's head as they chatted away. Maybe it was because they never sat like that, but Harry felt his mouth go dry. It was strange; Hermione normally wasn't as overly affectionate with people…

"Harry!"

He jumped and looked back at Ron. "Yeah, what?" he muttered, trying desperately not to blush.

Ron snorted. "You zoned out in the middle of our conversation. I mean, sure, I know I can sometimes go into a monotone when Smith is concerned, but that's no reason to…"

"Hey, Ron!"

All four Gryffindors looked up as Lavender Brown saddled over, accompanied by the hip, as always, by Parvati Patil.

Hermione sighed, rolled her eyes and sat up again. Lavender had only recently gotten it back into her head that she wanted to date Ron again, and had been trying at every opportunity to get him to change his mind about her too. Personally, she thought Lavender was quite wasting her breath, as it was obvious Ron was no longer interested. But Ron, bless his little soul, was just either too polite or too scared to tell Lavender straight out to bugger off.

Ron blushed at the look he was receiving from the blonde and smiled up at her weakly. "Oh, hullo Lavender." He said, trying to sound enthusiastic. He really didn't want to do this with her now, especially not with Hermione sitting right next to him, her knee resting up against his…

"What are you doing now?" asked Lavender, giving him a smile. "You're not busy, are you?"

Hermione's eyes narrowed at the glance Lavender cast her. It was subtle and very discreet, but Hermione didn't miss it…nor did she miss its significance.

"Er, right now?" asked Ron, looking around for an excuse to get him out of this. "Well, er…'

"He happens to be spending time with us." Said Ginny coolly, giving Lavender a look. "But, of course, you're welcome to join us if you want."

Hermione bit back a smug smirk. She knew that Lavender did not want to spend time with baggage – she wanted Ron alone. Hermione had been glad that Ginny had butted in, because it was talking all her self restraint not to comment as well.

An awkward moment passed in which no-one said anything. Ron was fidgeting in his seat, for some reason wishing Hermione would say something like Ginny had. Lavender was shooting Hermione glares, as if this was all her fault, Parvati and Harry looked rather embarrassed by the whole situation and Ginny was fired up, ready for a tongue-lashing.

Hermione was irritated by Lavender's presence. She so badly wanted to tell her to back off, and that Ron was forbidden territory for any girl to trespass upon but her…but that would be rude, uncalled for and inappropriate. She couldn't really say that to Lavender.

Could she?

"Actually, Lavender,' said Harry, breaking the silence like a refreshing breath of wind. 'We were going to head off for practice now. I booked the pitch for us tonight."

Lavender considered Harry's apologetic smile for a moment, trying to gauge whether or not he was telling the truth, before she sighed and looked back around at Ron.

"Well, fair enough. I don't suppose you'll be in the mood for anything later then, will you?" she said.

Ron shook his head, trying not to smile in relief. "No, probably not. Training usually zonks me right out, especially with the work-out's Harry's puts us through."

"Yeah,' piped up Harry, trying to be helpful. "I'm a real tyrant."

"Hmm, I _bet_ you are." Said Lavender, giving him a smile. She shrugged and grabbed Parvati's hand. "Well, if you're sure…see you tomorrow, Ron."

And with one final smile at Ron, she and Parvati headed off up the girls stairs.

Ron sighed in relief and rubbed his face. "Thank Merlin for that." He groaned.

"Honestly, why don't you just tell her you're not interested?" said Ginny, giving her brother a look. "Just tell it to her straight and she won't bother you."

Harry smirked and stood up. "I think he likes her chasing him, deep down."

"Shut up, Harry, I do not." Snapped Ron, chancing a look at Hermione out of the corner of his eye. "Come on, let's just get down to the pitch and practice already.'

"You two go on,' said Ginny, settling into the sofa beside Hermione again. 'I'll meet you down there."

"Okay, but don't be too long." Said Harry, rounding up the others and giving her a mock-stern look. "I don't want you lagging behind just because you decide to be fashionably late."

Ginny sat up straight and saluted him. "Aye, captain." She said.

Harry rolled his eyes, and he and the rest of the team left swiftly through the portrait hole.

The red-head sighed and flopped back down, relaxing against the cushions. "Who does Lavender remind you of?" she said, staring off into space.

Hermione smiled, going back to her book. "Phlegm."

"Yes, exactly."

"It's an epidemic – call the proper authorities at once."

"Ah yes, '_Blondehussyitis_', I read about that in the Prophet the other day." Said Ginny seriously, nodding.

Hermione laughed. "I hope it's not contagious."

Ginny looked at her and frowned slightly. "Why didn't you say anything to her?"

"And risk catching her disease?"

"Hermione, I'm being serious."

Hermione sighed. "What would I have to say about it? Ron's a perfect liberty to be with…"

"…be with anyone he chooses, yeah, you sung that song last year." Said Ginny flatly, giving Hermione a knowing look. "Just admit that you like…"

"I will say nothing of the sort, Ginny, now drop it." Said Hermione, her eyes never wavering from the pages of her book.

Ginny sighed and gave up, knowing it would be useless to try and get Hermione to admit how smitten about Ron she was. It was so obvious; she didn't know why Hermione didn't just admit it to her. She could trust Ginny, after all. Ginny wouldn't have laughed or teased her about it, just as Hermione hadn't ridiculed Ginny about her feelings for Harry.

Ginny looked at Hermione again, suddenly thinking of something. "Don't you haven any homework?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then why aren't you doing it?"

"Don't feel like it." Said Hermione, turning the page of her book slowly.

Ginny blinked. "You…_what_?"

"I said I don't…"

"No, I heard you. What do you mean you don't feel like it?" asked Ginny, feeling very surprised.

Hermione looked at Ginny. "What part of 'I don't feel like it' didn't you understand?' she laughed, looking confused at Ginny's reaction. 'Its all going to be there tomorrow, Ginny,don't stress."

Ginny's mouth dropped open. _Don't stress?_ She thought madly. _What the bloody hell…_

"You'd better get to training, Gin.' Said Hermione giving her one last smile before burying herself in her book again. "Harry's a tyrant after all; he might pull out the Cat of Nine-tails."

Feeling far too confused to do anything else, Ginny stood up, bid Hermione farewell and left the common room, wondering what on earth the world was coming to.

* * *

A/N – Okay, this may seem a bit slow in parts, but this spell is 'slow-release'. It's going to take a few chapters to really get moving, so please stick with me!

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

* * *

"Harry, do I look okay?"

Jolted from his deep frame of mind as he poured over his Transfiguration essay, Harry looked up from his desk to see Hermione standing across from him, an inquisitive look on her face.

He blinked in surprise and frowned at her. "Do you look okay?" he asked, making sure he had heard right.

Hermione sighed impatiently. "Yes, wonderful, you put your hearing aide in today. Now, do I look acceptable or what?" she asked, spreading her arms out.

Harry dropped his quill and sat back in his chair, surveying the girl before him. She was dressed in her uniform, yes, but with massive differences. For one, the need to dress impeccably and set a good example for others seemed to have been totally thrown out the window, for she was wearing nothing but her shirt, untucked, her tie loose and the top two buttons of her shirt undone, and her skirt actually _above_ her knees. She was looking at him as if his opinion was the whole reason for her existence, and Harry didn't know if this was some sort of test or not. She never asked his opinion on anything she wore – she never asked _anyone's_ opinion on what she wore.

He laughed nervously and ruffed his hair. "Well, er, that depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you're going to a fancy dress party, Hermione." He said, finding this sudden change in style rather concerning. "What in the blazes have you _done_?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows and she looked down at herself. "What? Ginny's dressing like this." She said defensively.

"Ginny isn't you." He said simply, quirking an eyebrow. He looked around the common room, and wasn't at all surprised to see other students looking at Hermione in a whole different light. "And since when do you follow trends anyway? Doesn't it mess with you're whole 'Everyone are just a big herd of superficial, unoriginal sheep' theory?"

Hermione threw him a look and sat herself down on the desk. "Excuse me, but haven't you been saying for the past three days that I should dress a little more sensible for the heat wave we're having?"

Harry sighed. She did have a point. "And you call this _sensible_?" he countered, trying not to look at how much leg she was exposing.

"Oh, Harry, honesty,' She laughed, waving a hand at him dismissively. 'You don't have to play the 'big-brother' role I know you so often feel you have to. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

Harry looked at her, feeling his concern only increase. "Um, Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry?"

"Are you… is er, everything alright?"

Hermione looked around at him from his notes she had been reading and smiled. "Yes, of course. Why wouldn't everything be alright?"

"Oh, I don't know,' said Harry, snatching his notes out of her hand to distract himself from the irresistible urge to throw a robe over her and cover her up. 'Maybe because you've been acting a little…off, lately." He said, cautiously.

She frowned. "Off? How so?"

Harry bit back a laugh. "_How so_? You're kidding, right?"

Hermione shook her head, looking genuinely confused.

Alarm bells went off in Harry's head. Hermione never looked confused. Curious, yes. Interested, yes. Never confused. She was always on the ball, always two steps in front of everyone else. She was extremely perceptive, and hardly ever missed a trick. So either she was just pretending to be out of the loop, or she really had no idea how strangely she'd been behaving.

Either way, it was reason to be worried.

"You haven't noticed anything different going on?' he asked, watching on as she got up and smoothed out her skirt and checked her hair at the same time.

"Different?"

"Will you stop playing dumb, Hermione?" he shouted angrily, banging his fist on the table.

Hermione jumped and frowned at him. "Harry, I may play many games, but 'Dumb' most certainly is not one of them." She snapped, clearly offended. "If I have no idea what you're talking about, believe me, it is not by choice."

Surprisingly, this outburst calmed Harry down. _That_ was more like her.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Harry, I'm sorry…"

"No, I am." He said, holding up a hand to quiet her. He got up and sat down on the desk beside her, not caring if he was crushing his homework. 'I'm just worried about you, Hermione. I mean, after Charms yesterday…'

"Oh, really, I don't have to answer every question, do I?" she laughed, leaning against him, shoulder to shoulder.

"It's not the fact that you didn't answer a question,' he said, looking at her seriously. 'It's the fact that you simply zoned out. You _never_ zone out, Hermione, not even in History of Magic, the most ludicrously boring subject in the entire world…'

"I was reading theory on the Protean Charm from one of our textbooks, Harry." Said Hermione, examining her nails as if bored. "I wasn't like I wasn't doing any work. And even if I wasn't reading about it, it's not like I would have fallen behind. I know everything about it already, remember?"

Harry smiled at her smirk. "Yeah, so you do."

"So, stop fretting." She said, squeezing his cheeks playfully. "You really shouldn't worry so much; you'll get wrinkles."

Harry watched her leap up off the desk and mess around with her hair again. "Ha! _You're_ telling _me_ not to worry?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, that's right. Now, if you don't mind I have somewhere to be – and you have an essay to finish before this afternoon. You've got eleven spelling mistakes in there too… make sure you correct them before you hand it in."

Harry shook his head and smiled, watching her leave. She was becoming far too complicated to figure out. One minute, she was acting all strange and then the next she was back to normal, lecturing him about homework.

"Oh, hey, wait a second!" he called.

She stopped just as she went to climb through the portrait hole and looked back. "Yes, Harry, what is it?"

"Don't you think you'd better change or something?" he said, looking at her attire once more. "I mean, what if Ron sees you like that?"

Hermione smirked and gave him a wink. "My dear Harry… that is the plan."

And she left, leaving Harry's mouth hanging wide open.

-----------

Ron unloaded his bag from his shoulder with a grateful sigh and sat himself down beside Harry at their usual desk, right at the back of the Transfiguration classroom.

"Gah, bloody books. Weigh a bloody tonne." He grumbled, dumping the bag at his feet.

Harry smiled, reading his essay over. "Hello to you too. Feel better now that your bladder has been relieved of active duty?" he chuckled.

Ron clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "No! Moaning Myrtle was in there again, and she kept trying to tell me spells over the top of the cubicle that help alleviate bladder infection. I don't know why she even thought I had something like that!"

"Maybe she was just trying to get a good look at your…"

"Shut it, Harry!"

Harry laughed and wrote his name on his essay. "Oh, don't think I'm kidding. I've had experienced with Myrtle before, you know."

"Oh, really?' said Ron, slamming his books on the desk and giving Harry a smile. 'And here I thought your first real kiss was with Cho Chang.'

Harry glared at him. "Touché."

Ron smiled, satisfied. Pulling out the other books he needed, he took a small amount of notice of the people slowly filling up the room. Unfortunately, they took this class with the Slytherins, which meant he had to watch the likes of Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode file in, looking as sour as ever. God, didn't they _ever_ smile?

He blushed and pretended to be deeply involved in a book as Lavender walked past him, a wide, coy smile on her face. Ron was eternally thankful that both Harry was already sitting next to him, and that all seats within close proximity were either taken or were occupied by Slytherins. Lavender had recently developed a habit of trying to sit as close to him as possible, for it was quite obvious she would never get the seat next to him – not of Harry or Hermione had anything to do with it, that is.

Ron blinked and looked around again, hit by a sudden thought. "Hey, have you seen Hermione?"

"Sorry, what?" said Harry, looking around from the blackboard.

"Hermione, have you seen her? It's nearly time for class as she isn't here." Said Ron, looking around for the familiar bushy head of his best friend.

But Harry was trying not to smile. "You didn't see her on your way here?"

"No, I didn't."

"Oh, well, I imagine she'll be most disappointed by that."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, nothing!"

"Alright everyone, settle down now!" McGonagall's voice cracked through the moment like an authoritive whip, making some people jump. The professor strolled right up to her desk, immediately getting her things ready for class. "That's enough talking, everyone get your books ready please."

Ron sighed, exchanged a look with Harry and did as she instructed. It was bad enough that Hermione still wasn't there yet, without the two of them getting in trouble and loosing house points for not paying adequate attention.

"Right, now today we will be continuing our practice on Conjuring. I know that many of you will still need at least a few more attempts before you can conjure any sort of place setting for the dining settings we have been practicing with lately." Said McGonagall, pursing her lips. She tapped the blackboard beside her and instantly it was filled with writing, diagrams and step-by-step instructions. "You will all give me one hundred percent on this today, I'm quite sure of it…'

Harry's whisper in his ear distracted him. "Where is she?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Muttered Ron with a shrug. He pulled some parchment in front of him to make it look like was taking notes, and then took a quick look around the room. She still wasn't there.

"You don't suppose we should look go and for her?" said Harry, following Ron's lead.

"Any other time, I'd say no – but she hasn't exactly been herself lately, has she?" he whispered. "Still, we can't just go barging out of class, can we?"

"We can if we ask permission, and tell McGonagall what's going on." Said Harry softly, jotting down what was on the board.

"Hmm." Was all Ron said.

Truthfully, had would have simply walked out of class to find Hermione, McGonagall's permission or not. It wasn't like her to skive of lessons, no matter the excuse. She can't have been sick; Ron had only just seen her not two hours ago, and she'd seemed perfectly healthy then. Besides, sick or not, she would have dragged herself to this class on her knees. Even back in second year when she had been turned into a cat, she wanted to be at classes!

But, maybe he was just worrying about nothing. Hermione was probably going to burst through the door in any moment and beg Professor McGonagall's forgiveness for her tardiness. She'd probably get there before anyone noticed she was missing at all…

"As most of you know, conjuring takes a degree of concentration that you cannot simply possess without prior instruction." Said McGonagall, walking between the desks and breathing down people's neck to make sure they were copying down notes. "You must have focus, and only when you have focus will you be successful in your conjuring."

Ron heard Seamus snort in the seat behind him and mutter "Constant vigilance."

"By the end of this term,' continued McGonagall, giving Seamus a whack to the back of the head as she passed him. 'I expect all of you to have this degree of focus. Once you have it, it is quite like riding a bicycle – you never forget. And now, if I could have a volunteer to show me how much progress they have had."

Everyone went silent, awaiting the predicable hand to thrust into the air again. But, like the day before, no hand went into the air.

McGonagall frowned, taking Hermione's lack of enthusiasm as a personal insult. She looked around, her eyes narrowing. "Wait a moment…where is Miss Granger?"

Ron sighed. _So much for not noticing_. He thought to himself. "Um, Professor, she's not here yet." He said.

"Not here yet?" said McGonagall, looking at Ron and Harry and clearly very confused. "What do you mean she's not here yet?"

Harry shrugged. "We don't know where she is. Last I saw of her was just after lunch, up in Gryffindor Tower."

"We thought maybe she was doing something for you." Lied Ron. "You know; Head Girl stuff."

But McGonagall still seemed far too fixated on the fact that her favorite student was not at one of her classes to notice that she still had a class going on in that moment. All the students were looking curious, but Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode were sniggering to themselves.

_No way is this funny_, thought Ron, glaring at them. _I wouldn't be surprised if they did something to her, you know. _

But Ron's angry train of thought was cut off by the classroom doors banging open and Hermione Granger flying into the room, looking very harassed and…good lord, what was she _wearing_?

"Oh, Professor, I'm sorry!" panted Hermione, bending over to lean on her knees. She was gasping for breath, as if she's just swum the Channel.

"Miss Granger, where in Merlin's name have you _been_?" snapped McGonagall, looking shocked. "Class started fifteen minutes ago!"

"I know, Professor, I know!" said Hermione, straightening up.

Ron simply googled at her openly. She was dressed in the strangest way. What had gotten into her head to make her stop dressing like a palace guard and more like, well, a girl? He looked at Harry beside him, and Harry nodded in a way that said 'Yeah, I know exactly what you mean'.

"My sincerest apologies, Professor,' she said, fixing her bag up on her shoulder. "But I…lost track of time."

Harry and Ron exchanged another look. Since when did Hermione '_loose track of time'_?

McGonagall seemed to remember herself, as she pursed her lips and strode irritably back up to the front. "Miss Granger, you know more than anyone that I do not tolerate lateness to my classes. Ten points from Gryffindor, and I wish to speak to you after class – now take a seat and write this down."

Hermione bit her lip and hesitated, before letting out an angry huff and storming to the only seat left next to Blaise Zabini. Completely ignoring the glares Zabini was giving her, she dumped her bag on the floor with a loud THUMP, pulled each of her books out forcefully and slammed them back down on the table, all the while glaring at McGonagall's back.

Ron's mind went into a whirl. He had not seen her this angry at a teacher since Umbridge, and he most certainly would not have expected her to feel that way about their Head of House, one of Hermione favorite teachers in the whole school. And why had she been late? What could she have possibly been doing to make her loose track of the time? She had a watch on her, and if she had been in the library and totally absorbed in her work (as she was often prone to do), surely Madam Pince would have reminded her that it was time for class.

And what the bloody hell was up with her _clothes_?

Shaking it off for something he could ask her about later, Ron went back to his notes in silence. The only noise being made in the entire room apart from the scratching of quills, were two girls sniggering to themselves behind their hands at the front of the room.

--------

Ron folded his arms over his chest and leant against the wall, the strap of his bag full of books slung across his chest. His sleeves were rolled up above his elbows, exposing the sweaty forearms so many of the students and faculty were experiencing lately.

He considered the closed door across from his as students passed in dribs and drabs, wondering what was going on behind it.

"Do you think we should owl St Mungos?" he asked.

Harry laughed beside him, sucking on an Ice Mice. "I don't think it's that serious just yet, mate."

"The hell it isn't!" said Ron, looking at Harry as if he too had lost his mind. "You can't tell me you don't find all this really weird. I mean, come on, she shows up late for class, she doesn't volunteer for any demonstrations, she's dressing like _Lavender_…'

"Ah, well, actually,' laughed Harry nervously, clapping Ron on the back. "I think that last one has more to do with hormones than madness."

Ron quirked an eyebrow at the look Harry was giving him. "What are you on about?"

Harry laughed and shook his head. "Nothing, nothing. Oh, hey Ginny."

"Afternoon, chaps." Said Ginny happily, joining the two boys as they waited outside the Transfiguration classroom. "What's the what, eh?"

"Just waiting for Hermione." Said Harry, giving Ginny a once over. She was dressed in the same style as Hermione and most of the female student body, and he just couldn't help himself.

"Where is she?"

"With McGonagall." Said Ron, looking at the closed door once more.

Ginny nodded. "Ah, I see – gunning for extra credit?"

Ron smiled. "Nope. She's getting a lecture on punctuality and its importance."

Harry laughed, but Ginny frowned in confusion. "Whoa, wait a second…_Hermione_'_s_ being lectured? On _punctuality_? Why on earth would anyone lecture Hermione, of all people, on timeliness?"

"Well, not that you'll believe it…" said Harry. 'But Hermione was late for Transfiguration today. And not just a few minutes late, no, she was _fifteen _minutes late."

"She _what_?"

"Oh yeah. She showed up just as we were getting into class, saying that she had lost track of time." Said Harry, raising his eyebrows.

Ginny blinked and looked at Ron. "Have you owled St Mungo's yet?"

"Harry thinks there's nothing to worry about." Said Ron.

"I asked her if anything was wrong,' said Harry defensively. 'And she said she was fine…"

"Harry, honestly, Hermione could me missing two legs, a middle finger and an eyeball and she'd still say she was fine." Bristled Ginny. "When have we ever known Hermione to be upfront?"

Ron opened his mouth to comment, when the classroom door opened and Hermione walked out, looking…well, complacent. He would have expected her to be insulted for being patronized, or angry for being lectured, or even upset for being reprimanded by her favorite teacher. But all she looked right now was perfectly fine.

"Hermione!" cried Harry, the three of them rushing forward. "So, what happened? Are you expelled for unspeakable delinquent behaviour?"

Hermione laughed and did up the buckles of her bag, slinging it across her chest like Ron. "No, of course not!"

"So? What did she say to you?" asked Ginny.

"Well, all she said was that she was quite surprised that I had been late, and to ask if anything was wrong or going to prevent me from attending classes on time in future, and that she was most sorry that she had to be so stern but simply could not show favoritism to me in spite of all her other pupils." She said, looking into space as she recited what had just happened.

Ron smiled and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Not like you didn't earn them back in five minutes anyway." He laughed.

Hermione smiled at him. "Yes, exactly." She said, giving him a very peculiar look.

Ron blinked, but didn't get to think much about it as Harry butted in again.

"So why _were_ you so late, then?"

Hermione sighed and rolled her sleeves up. "Does it really matter?"

Caught off guard by this, Harry's eyes widened. "Er, I suppose not."

"Look, let's just get rid of this stuff and go for a walk, eh?" said Hermione, looking at her schoolbag as if it were a disgusting deadweight. "My brain's all worked up and it's far too stuffy inside."

Ginny smiled and nodded, already heading off. "Works for me! Come on, we can get changed and…"

"Whoa, hold on a minute!" cried Ron, grabbing Hermione's arm as she went to walk off. "We have that Prefect meeting tonight, remember? The one you insisted we set up two weeks ago? The one you've been nagging me about every night for the past fortnight?"

"Oh, that!" said Hermione, not making to remove herself from his grasp. "Don't worry about that – I cancelled it."

Ron's mouth dropped open and Harry's bag slid from his shoulder to the ground with a dull CLUNK. Ginny snorted at the boy's reaction, and Hermione looked just as amused.

"You _canceled_ it?" muttered Ron, looking a little outraged. "What the bloody hell for?"

"Well, I don't know, Ron – maybe because its boiling weather and it's a Friday and there are other things Prefects could be doing with their time than having to listen to Ernie and I drone on about regulations and duties and what-not." Said Hermione, putting a finger beneath Ron's mouth and flicking it shut. "Don't tell me you're actually disappointed." She laughed.

Ron cleared his throat and, remembering that he still had her in his grasp, let her go hastily. "Well, no, can't say that I am. But, you've been on about this for ages! I can't believe that you'd just cancel it."

"Honestly, it's not that big of a deal." She laughed, giving him a playful nudge.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing!" he cried, looking at her as if he'd never met her. "_Not that big of a…_" he trailed off from his rant and took a few deep breaths, not even noticing Hermione smirking at him. "Well, when are we having it instead?"

Hermione thought for a moment, before shrugging. "Don't know yet – when I feel like it. Now, are we going for a walk or not? I want to stop by the kitchens and get some Butterbeer from Dobby…"

Harry and Ron just watched as Hermione and Ginny hurried off, laughing with each other.

Ron frowned and pointed after the two girls. "Did she just say…"

"Oh yeah." Said Harry, nodding.

"And did she..."

"Oh yeah."

"And did I…"

"Oh yeah."

Ron ruffled his hair, feeling very confused. "Am I missing something?"

"Well, we've been telling her for ages to try and lighten up,' said Harry, picking his bag up again. "Maybe she's finally taking our advice. I mean, the prefect meeting can be rescheduled – and it's not like you wanted to go anyway."

"No, that's true I guess."

Harry shrugged. "I get what you're on about – I do. But, maybe we're just worrying for no reason."

Ron's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Yeah, maybe."

"Well, come on, there's only one way to find out."

"And that is?"

"We watch, observe, and prescribe the right medication if needed."

Ron laughed and looked at Harry. "You can speak the biggest load of tripe, you know that?"

Harry smiled and punched Ron playfully in the arm. "Ah, yes, and that's why in this unstoppably trio, I'm the dashing hero and you're the loveable sidekick with all the witty repartee."

* * *

A/N – If Hermione seems a little weird, good, she's meant to. It's hard to get her just right and keep it believable, so forgive me if it seems a bit shaky at times. Oh, and not to seem arrogant, but tell me your fave line in the past three chapters! I need to know if my humor is working out or not!

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4! Okay, let's get things shaken up a bit.

* * *

Hermione pushed her sunglasses up her nose and leant back in her seat, putting her feet up on the back of the seat in front of her and crossing them at the ankle. The sun was high and very warm, and it was the perfect opportunity to get a brown tinge to her whitening skin. It was also a good opportunity to get out of her stuffy school uniform and into her denim skirt, tank top and sandals. 

She smiled and tilted her head back, enjoying a few minutes of content silence. She'd been being nagged all morning about when she was going to reschedule the next prefect meeting, and when she was going to set up arrangements for graduation and when she would have a few minutes to help with homework…and God, she was just so _sick_ of it.

_Besides_, she thought with a smirk as she settled into her seat. _This is something far more productive to do with my time. _

She was sitting up in the Quidditch stands, waiting patiently for the Gryffindor Team to come out and do their afternoon training. Harry had mentioned that morning that he was going to 'rally up the troops' and put them through their paces. Personally, Hermione really didn't see the point in obsessing over it. It was just a game, after all. But, she wasn't there to appreciate the skill involved in Quidditch, nor the amount of practice it took to develop such skills.

She was there to appreciate something else.

Hermione smiled to herself as seven familiar figures marched out onto the Quidditch field, brooms in hand. She was very pleased to see that they were dressing responsibly for the hot weather and weren't wearing those ridiculously heavy robes. They would have all been dropping out of the sky like flies with heat exhaustion.

They congregated in a circle around Harry for a moment, and from where she was sitting, Hermione guessed he was going over their agenda for today. Harry would point to various people, say something and then point up into the sky. The elected person would nod, apparently understand his jargon. Hermione humored herself with an image of Harry as an army officer, directing his troops into their battle stations. Oh, such a tyrant…

The seven players kicked off from the ground and did a few laps of the pitch, but Hermione's ignored them all and kept her focus on just one player. He was easy to spot, and not just because of his flaming red hair. He was lanky and large, and had a slightly awkward grace about him, as if still so unsure of himself as a player.

_The poor dear_, she thought to herself as Ron sped off toward the goal posts. _He's so unsure of himself all the time. If only he knew how good he really was. _

She smirked and adjusted her sunglasses again, flipping her hair out of her face.

_He needs encouragement_. She thought, nodding to herself.

"Wooo, yeah! Go team!" she cheered loudly, clapping her hands together.

As predicted, they all looked around to see who had called out. Hermione laughed at the unsure looks they were giving her.

"Yeah, Gryffindor! Go Ron, you workin' that broom baby!"

"Hermione!" laughed Ron, flying over. He stopped just in front of the stands and hovered there, placing a hand on his hip as he looked at her. "What the bloody hell…"

"What, cant I be cheerleader just this once?" she laughed, shrugging. "You look like you needed a confidence boost, so here I am!"

Ron laughed bashfully, trying very hard not to look at her bare legs. Lord almighty, that skirt was indecent! "You've never come to watch our practices before! I thought you'd be up in the tower, doing homework."

Hermione rolled her eyes, taking in how nice he looked in his own, red tank top. "_Homework_? Honestly, Ron, is that all you think about?"

"I…er…'

"It's far too hot up in that stuffy old tower, and I wanted to get some fresh air." She said, grabbing her hair in her hands and pulling it up into a messy bun. She smiled as she noticed Ron trying not to look at her exposed neck. "Besides, I'm ahead with all my homework…unlike _some_ people."

Ron snorted. "Lay off, will you? It's Saturday, and I'm training for our game tomorrow."

"All work and no play make Ron a dull little boy." Sang Hermione, giving him another once over. When had he developed such nice arms? And had his shoulders always been that broad?

"Yeah, alright." Said Ron, feeling confused for not the first time in the past few days. She just kept on getting weirder and weirder. Hermione never came to his training sessions, and she most definitely did not go anywhere looking like _that_! Her attitude was also a little different. Since when did she use expressions like 'you working it' anyway?

Hermione sighed and sat up a little. "Well, don't miss your practice on my account."

"Oh, no, we're just warming up." He said, giving the team a glance over his shoulder. "Harry lets us have ten or so minutes to muck around…get it out of our system…'

"Well, I most certainly do not blame him,' she said, folding her arms over her chest and pushing her boobs up a little. 'After all, you're kinda cute when you muck around."

Ron stared at the smirk she was giving him, completely unprepared for that. He laughed nervously and ruffled his hair, feeling the temperate rise another couple degrees. She was just watching him squirm with that smile of hers, an expression he never thought he'd see on her face – especially directed at him!

"Er, funny you should suddenly think so." He chuckled.

"I've always thought so." She said, leaning back in her seat again.

Ron smiled at moved in a bit closer toward her, his eyebrows raised. "Hermione…are you _flirting_ with me?"

Her grin only widened, showing off her perfectly white teeth. "I don't know – maybe.' She said, quirking an eyebrow in response. 'Are you liking it?"

"Honestly, I don't what to think at the moment." He laughed, his ears going red. What the hell was going on?

"Ron, come on!" called Harry, waving him over.

"What? Yeah, alright, keep your hair on!" Bellowed Ron over his shoulder. He sighed and turned back to Hermione, finding her still looking at him in that peculiar way.

Hermione shrugged. "Well, go on. Your captain has summoned you." She said, waving a hand dismissively. She really didn't want him to go. Her options had advantages on either side. He could stick around and she could pass banter around with him a bit more, or she could let him go and watch him train, his arms flexing as he stretched…

"Um, alright then. You going to stay and watch, are you?" he asked, backing his broom up a little.

She nodded and settled back in her chair. "Yeah, I just thought of a good reason to stick around actually."

Ron smiled and nodded, missing her suggestive tone. "Okay, great. Afterward, we can head off to the kitchens and get some food – sound good?"

"Sounds fabulous."

He smiled and, without giving her any opportunity to stop behaving strange and change her mind about them going down to the kitchens when there was homework to be done, he flew off to join the rest of the team.

Hermione slumped into her seat with a sigh, rolling her eyes toward the sky. She didn't know why, but she had just had the most insane urge to leap out of her chair and kiss him – and it was urges like that that were becoming more and more difficult to keep control over.

It was all a little strange, really. In the back of her mind, she knew she should be up in the castle revising her class notes or asking for extra work, but she just couldn't be bothered. She didn't want to do homework or sit up in the castle with nothing to do but go over work she knew like the back of her hand anyway. She wanted to be out, walking around, wasting time… things she never would have dared to do just a few days ago. So what had changed?

_Maybe Harry and Ron's incessant nagging finally got to me._ She thought, her eyes locking on the keeper of the Gryffindor team as he flew back and forth in front of the goals. _They've been telling me for years to lighten up – maybe that's what's happening to me. _

Shrugging it off, she relaxed into the wooden chair and slipped her hands in her pockets. The breeze was cool, and it was just too nice a day to think about anything like school right now.

_Besides, who can think about homework when Ron's wearing nothing but shorts and a tank top? Ooh, just look at him…getting all hot and sweaty… _

Hermione smirked and sighed, feeling very satisfied for some reason.

-------------

Ron walked lazily with his broom slung across the top of his shoulders, trying desperately not to stare too much at the brunette walking along beside him. She wasn't doing anything to attract his attention, and yet she seemed to be getting it anyway! The way she walked, the way she smiled, the way she was dressing…it was like Hermione, but upgraded.

He hadn't been able to get his mind off her all afternoon. The whole incident before training ran over and over in his mind, and he just couldn't shake it off. He'd been so distracted by her during practice, that he'd missed all his saves, slid sideways off his broom more times that he could count, and had almost flown head-long into one of the goal posts and knocked himself out. She'd been watching the whole time, and he'd never felt like more of an idiot; but amazingly, she didn't seem to have cared.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and smiled, focusing on his sister and best friend as they walked on in front of him, still having the play-fight that had started up as they had left the change rooms just a few minutes ago.

"Ginny, _please_? Can't you just do it this once?" pleaded Harry, tugging on Ginny's sleeve like a three year old.

Ginny rolled her eyes and laughed. "No, Harry, for the five hundredth billion time! Can't you do it yourself?"

"I can, but that's really not the point."

"No, the point is you're a pathetic little boy who is scared!"

"I'm not scared!"

"Oh, no, of course not."

"Just do it for me this time, Ginny, _please_? Go on – you know you really want to." Said Harry, elbowing her suggestively with a smile.

Ginny mock glared at him. "Harry, want I really want to do right now, I can't do, because there are first years present."

"God, they are so married." Muttered Hermione suddenly.

Ron laughed and tuned out of their spat. "You reckon?"

"Don't you?" she laughed, looking up at him. "They fight almost as much as we do."

"Yeah, but they don't stop an entire shopping mall with their fights, unlike us."

Hermione laughed and nodded, linking her arm through his. "I remember that! The first time my mother took you out to a muggle shopping mall."

"First and last! Muggle women are stark raving mad in those places. I swear some woman stamped on my foot, just to get me away from some barrel of shoes." Said Ron, wincing at the memory.

She snorted and shook her head. "Wuss."

"I'm not a wuss!" he retorted playfully, giving her bare arm a pinch. He didn't want her to unlink their arms; he felt quite the gentleman, having her on his arm like this. Not to mention the feeling of her skin against his was giving him pleasant tingles all over.

"So, had a good practice?" she said with a teasing smile.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't start; everyone has their off days, you know. I was only a little distracted."

"You nearly decapitated yourself."

"Well, what do you expect? What, with some crazy girl sitting up in the stands screaming 'Go team go!' like its some sort of bloody champion match."

Hermione giggled. "It was for morale, Ronald."

Ron frowned at her. Since when did Hermione giggle, let alone like _that_?

"Ooh, wait a second." She said, pulling him to a stop. 'I just saw Flitwick; I need to speak to him about my essay. Just wait for me a second, okay?" she said.

Ron opened his mouth to answer, but she'd already detached herself from him, waved and run off down the adjacent corridor. He sighed, ran a hand through his dampened hair and gripped his broom tighter, catching up with Ginny and Harry who had stopped only a few feet away.

"…not going to do your duties for you, Harry!" laughed Ginny, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "Just suck it up and do it already!"

"But I really don't want to!" he whined, slouching in a very immature pout.

"Neither do I!" she laughed, slapping him playfully in the arm. "You think talking to Zacharias Smith is my idea of a fun afternoon?"

"No, and believe me, I understand why." Said Harry, raising his eyebrows. "Bugger all this, why oh why does he have to be commentator? _Why_?"

Ron laughed and shrugged, leaning against the wall near them. "Probably slept with someone in a high place."

"_McGonagall_ organizes the commentators!" cried Ginny, looking horrified.

The three of them paused and then shuddered.

"Hmm, makes you wonder how Luna got the job then, doesn't it?" laughed Harry, screwing up his face in distaste.

Ron laughed and covered his face with his hand, but Ginny poked Harry in the chest.

"Don't change the subject – especially not to one so _gross_. Now, you need to talk to Smith before tomorrow, otherwise you won't get another chance until next week. He's playing tomorrow and has to set things up before then. You're _captain_, Harry!" she added as a last ditch effort.

"Then as captain, I order _you_ to go." Said Harry, giving Ginny a smug smile.

Ginny pursed her lips. "I don't even listen to you _on_ the field, let alone off it. Now, you get your arse down to the Hufflepuff Common Room, find Smith and talk to him about next week's game!" she said, poking him again.

"You are not the boss of me." Said Harry, quirking an eyebrow in defiance.

"Oh, I am too." She said, nodding.

And with that, she grabbed Harry by the shoulders, turned him around and shoved him off down the hallway.

Ron laughed as he watched Harry sulk off down the corridor and around the corner. "Harry Potter, ladies and gentleman – our fearless leader." He chuckled.

"The almighty Chosen One, that's him alright. He can face You-know-who more times than Hagrid can bring an illegal creature into the country, but he can't go talk to some snot-brain Hufflepuff? I do not see the logic." Laughed Ginny with a shrug.

Ron looked at her for a moment. "You still love him, don't you?" he said softly.

Ginny looked around at her brother, her eyes hard. She pursed her lips again and exhaled slowly through her nose, looking as though she very much wanted to say something. But, before she even got the chance, they were interrupted with a…

"Won-won!"

Ron groaned and Ginny rolled her eyes. "Speaking of love…" she muttered.

Lavender came up behind Ron and wrapped her arms around him. Ron laughed nervously and grabbed her wrists, trying to tug them from around him, but she was hanging onto him like a lifeline.

"Hey, been at training again? Boy, you weren't kidding when you said Harry was a tyrant!" she giggled. She sniffed his back and hummed in appraisal. "You smell."

"What a way to charm a guy, Lavender." Said Ginny sarcastically, not even trying to keep the harshness out of her tone.

Lavender let go of Ron and turned him around to face her, giving Ginny a glare around him. She smiled up at Ron and tugged on the front of his shirt. "So, I was thinking…"

"Ooh, look out." Muttered Ginny.

"About what, Lavender?" asked Ron loudly, trying not to laugh.

"About us getting out of here for a few hours. I know that you're probably a bit tired with training an all, so I figured we could just go for a walk around the grounds or something." She said.

Ron's ears flushed red as she smiled up at him suggestively. He knew that look; he'd received it from her many times in a past. But it was just that – the past; and it was something he was not keen to relive anytime soon. He was far too occupied, and perhaps always had been, with someone else…

"So, what do you say?" she whispered, leaning up toward him. She didn't even notice him pulling away, trying to create some space between them. "The nights are far too muggy to be spending them indoors."

"How do you expect him to answer if you're trying to snog him, you silly bint?" snapped Ginny, scowling.

Lavender sighed impatiently. "Ginny, I wonder if maybe you could go somewhere else. Somewhere _very far away from here_, maybe?"

"I happen to be waiting for my brother, thank you very much."

"Well, he's busy. Cant you see that?"

"Now, girls…" said Ron nervously, trying to pry Lavender off him. It was rather daunting being in the middle of two girls like this. He'd never been in such a situation before, and was quite unsure of what would be the safest thing to do to get out of it with all this limbs still attached.

"Honestly, Lavender, can't you see he's not interested?"

"Oh, how would _you_ know? And since when do you pay such an active roll in your brother's love life? You've got five others…go dote on them or something."

Ron laughed nervously and put himself between Ginny, who was glaring daggers at Lavender and looked ready to slap her, and Lavender who was still clutching onto the front of his shirt, throwing Ginny sour looks.

"Listen, er…Lavender…' he muttered, prying him off her and putting her a good arm's length away. 'I really think we should talk about this, because obviously you're getting the wrong message here…'

'The only message I'm getting,' she said, giving Ginny another sneer. 'Is that you can't have ten minutes alone to tell me something that must be quite obviously none of your sister's business."

"It most certainly _is_ my business, Lavender!" snapped Ginny, coming to stand next to her brother. "I'm not being nosy…"

"Like hell you aren't!"

"Don't you take that tone with me…'

"All I want is a few minutes alone with Ron – is that too much to bloody ask for? Just a few minutes alone to try and reconnect."

"Reconnect how? By the _lips_?"

"It's not any of your concern!"

"He's not _interested!_"

"Don't speak for him like you have any authority to…"

"_LAVENDER_!" shouted a new voice.

Everyone jumped, especially Ron. He looked around just in time to see Hermione stride around the corner, straight past Lavender and right up to him. She spun around, putting herself between him and the blonde and stood up straight, pressing her back into his chest.

"Back off." Said Hermione in a low voice, giving Lavender a very significant look.

Ginny had to consciously keep her mouth from falling open as she looked at the two girls in front of her brother. Hermione was staring at Lavender without blinking, her eyes set and meaning clear. She was standing in front of Ron protectively, almost possessively, and her expression screamed '_See him? See this guy behind me? Yeah, well he's mine. You hear me? Mine, mine…all mine!'_ Ginny would never have imagined seeing such a scene coming from Hermione. After all this time…after all the years Hermione had been denying it…

The tension in the air was high and thick between the two girls, and Ron was feeling most confused. Lavender was looking at Hermione as if quite confused. It was like the two girls were communicated telepathically or something, but what on earth could be being said?

Lavender simply watched Hermione carefully for the longest moment, before finally sighing and smiling with a shrug. "Okay,' she said, holding up her hands in defeat and backing away. 'Geez, Hermione, all you had to do was say so."

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked off.

Ron's mouth dropped open and he laughed in shock as soon as Lavender was out of ear shot. "How did you…what…' he muttered, looking down at the top of Hermione's head in amazement.

Ginny had to cover her mouth to stifle her giggles. Hermione was still staring after Lavender with that threatening gaze, and Ron was spluttering incoherently like an idiot, completely unaware of what had just really happened.

"Hermione…that was…that was just _brilliant_!" breathed Ron in awe.

Hermione's expression cracked and she smiled in satisfaction, leaning against his chest a little more. "Like you expected anything less from me." She sang with a smirk.

Ron laughed and threw his arms around her. "Thank you, thank you, a million times _thank you_!" he said, burying his face in her hair.

Hermione giggled and rubbed his forearms. She looked at Ginny and quirked an eyebrow with a suggestive smile. Ginny snorted and hugged herself as she shuddered with suppressed laughter.

"She's not coming back, right?" he asked suddenly, spinning Hermione around by the shoulders to face him. "I mean, she's gotten the point?"

"Yes, she's gotten the point." Said Hermione, patting his cheeks.

Ron laughed and sighed happily, beaming at her. "How did you do that, anyway?"

Hermione shrugged and exchanged a quick glance with Ginny. "Oh, just girl stuff. You wouldn't understand."

"Hey look, if it gets the job done, I don't _need_ to understand." He laughed, shaking his head.

Ginny raised her eyebrows and looked at the two of them, quite under the suspicion that they had momentarily forgotten she was there. It was rather a new experience to see the two of them like this. Ron was dressed in his summer clothing and Hermione was dressed in an outfit Ginny would kill for! Normally during their summers at the Burrow, Hermione always simply wore jeans and a baggy t-shirt. She never dressed to show off any skin, and Ginny was quite sure she wasn't the only Weasley at Hogwarts now noticing this extreme and rather sudden change in wardrobe. Her hair was up in a bun, an expenisve pair of sunglasses sat atop of her head and she looked very attractive...something quite different in itself. Hermione wasn't normally one for getting all dressed up for no good reason.

They were standing before her now, Ron's hands on her shoulders and her hands on his chest. It looked to be quite a private moment as they simply gazed at each other, and Ginny was just about to excuse herself when Ron cleared his throat and let go of Hermione completely.

"So, er…kitchens? I'm up for a nice, cold Butterbeer."

Hermione nodded, putting her hands on her hips. "I'm game."

Ginny snorted. "You _are_?"

"Well, yes.' Said Hermione looking at Ginny in surprise. 'I've been a busy girl today, thank you very much, I deserve refreshment."

"Been doing homework while watching us train?" asked Ginny, slipping her broom under her arm as they began to walk off again.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Homework, essays, assignments…honestly, you Weasley's have a one track mind! It's a Saturday, Ginny – relax!" she laughed.

Ron chuckled as Ginny fell into step behind Hermione, her eyes wide with amazement. "Yeah, Gin, honestly! You're such a homework freak." He laughed, throwing around her shoulders while at the same time, sharing in her utter amazement at Hermione's behaviour.

* * *

A/N – bit short, but there wasn't much to say in this one. Are we noticing any changes yet? You think the spell is kicking in? Let me know! 

Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5. I hear you guys begging for more R/H –ness, and I promise, its coming! I'm trying to add it in there subtlety, I hope it's working.

* * *

"We need to be getting right into all these minor, very small, almost undetectable groups out there; believe me, I _know_ they exist! Of course, being the fact that I was apart of one only two years ago does make me rather the hypocrite, but no-one else needs to know that. Oh, and we really need to start getting down and organizing the arrangements for our Graduations ceremony, don't we? Because, after all, no-one has organization skills well-equipped enough to handle such an important chore, do they? And Professor McGonagall did specifically put is in charge for that exact reason, did she Hermione? Hermione?"

Ernie looked around at the girl beside him and frowned to find her with her head cradled in her arms on the desk, apparently dozing off. Her shoulders were rising and falling in a slow, deep rhythm and her breath was a little heavy.

He scoffed; feeling very annoyed for being ignored and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hermione!" he said loudly.

Hermione jumped, snorted and sat up straight, wiping a spot of drool off her chin. "Sorry, what?" she asked quickly, looking around madly.

Ernie scowled. "Hermione, have you heard a word I've said?" he asked.

"Yes, of course I have." Said Hermione, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Oh, really? What did I just say, then?"

Hermione guiltily adverted her eyes from Ernie's expression of accusation. "'Hermione, have you heard a word I've said'?"

Ernie sighed impatiently and rolled his eyes, sitting up pompously. "Look, Hermione, its bad enough you fall asleep in the middle of potions, a very important class nonetheless, but to not pay attention to me when I'm discussing Head matters…"

"Ernie, shut it, okay?" she said, clapping a hand over his mouth. "You're right – we're in potions. So can we please discuss this later?"

She turned away from him to face Harry and Ron sitting on the other side of the small table. They were apparently so absorbed in what it was they were trying to concoct, that they had not heard or seen anything that had just gone on.

_Thank lord for that_, she thought, rolling her eyes in relief. _I wouldn't have heard the bloody end of it. _

Potions just wasn't holding her interest on this particular morning. For the first half of the session, Slughorn had let them have access to his cupboards so they could try and brew any simple potion they wanted, just to 'get them in the swing of it', as Slughorn had so professionally put it. Hermione wasn't entirely sure what it was Ron and Harry had been making, but whatever it was it must have gone wrong somewhere, because there was a smell of bananas in the air.

"I think we forgot to add the Mandrake root." Said Harry, rubbing his head as he stared into the cauldron.

"We're not making Mandrake Draught, we're just mucking around!" muttered Ron, looking over his shoulder to make sure Slughorn wasn't looking.

"I'd prefer Slughorn finding out we're goofing off than Hermione." Whispered Harry, throwing a pinch of ground Sphinx bone into the gurgling mix. "At least he'd probably laugh it off and tell some story about how he used to buggerize around when _he_ was in school."

Ron snorted. "Oh, I don't know about that. Hermione doesn't seem to care much about anything anymore." He said, throwing the said girl a glance. She was lying on the table; her head propped up in the heel of her hand and was staring stupidly at the empty cauldron in front of her. Ernie looked a little put out beside her; perhaps he was taking her lack of interest as a personal insult.

"Alright ladies and gents, time's up!" boomed Slughorn happily, his massive belly swelling up. "I hope you've all made fairly simple potions, because we have to get down to some serious business and do not want to be spending hours cleaning up, now do we?"

Harry and Ron exchanged a smile, their cauldron full of gloop bubbling innocently between them.

"So, what do we call this then?" asked Hermione poking their cauldron with her wand. "Essence of Banana? Draught of Goo?"

Ron smiled. "I was thinking more of '_Gloopicous Crapicous_'. Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Harry laughed and tapped the cauldron with his wand. "_Scourgify_."

"Honestly,' bristled Ernie importantly as the contents of the cauldron vanished. "Don't you three _ever _take anything seriously?"

The trio looked at each other for a moment, before shrugging and looking back at Ernie.

"No, not really." They said together.

Ernie rolled his eyes again and sighed.

'Righty-O then, who can tell me what _this_ is?" announced Slughorn, holding up a glass flask full of a thick, murky liquid. He looked around the class of confused faces, before landing on Hermione. "Ah, Miss Granger! No doubt you know what this fascinating potion is."

Hermione sighed and resisted rolling her eyes, not even bothering to sit up as she turned her head up toward the front. "It's Polyjuice Potion." She said.

"Yes, marvelous! And I suppose you know what it turns you into?"

"A cat if you're not careful. _Ouch_!" she cried, rubbing her ankle under the table where Ron had kicked her.

"Er, you alright there, Miss Granger?"

Hermione returned the glare Ron was throwing her and nodded. "Yes, sir, I'm alright. The Polyjuice Potion turns your outward physical appearance into that of another person."

Slughorn beamed at her. "Smashing! Ten points to Gryffindor. Now, can anyone else tell me the main properties needed for…'

"What's wrong with you, eh?" hissed Ron, scowling at Hermione across the table. "What were you going to tell him next? That we tunneled under the school in first year and played Chess on a giant chessboard? That we really did help Sirius escape in third year?"

"You did _what_?" muttered Ernie, looking flabbergasted.

Hermione ignored him. "He didn't take me seriously, Ron!" she hissed back at him, her eyes narrowed. "And you really think I'd spill all of our past to just anyone? Especially a teacher?"

"Will you two _shut it_?" whispered Harry harshly, giving them both a look.

Ron sighed and gave Hermione a glance. "I don't know what's gotten into you lately, woman, but you'd better snap out of it before you blab too much and get all our arses expelled."

"Oh, so its okay for you to lecture when there's a danger of expulsion, but when there's a real danger like a three-headed dog or a crazy teacher and I speak in plain English…"

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger…' Slughorn's voice cut through the spat like a jolt of electricity, making the two of them remember where they were. "Is there a problem?"

Ron and Hermione shook their heads, hastily retracting their claws. "No sir, no problem." Said Ron.

Slughorn considered them for a moment, before throwing his head back and barking out a laugh. "Ah, I see! No problems, eh Weasley? Yes, smart move, smart move. I wouldn't want to be caught in the headlights of that monster truck, I tell you!" he chuckled, waggling a finger.

Ron looked at Harry in confusion. "Uh, Sir, I don't…'

"Lover tiff, yes?" laughed Slughorn, giving Ron a wink. "Don't blame you son, she's a catch. Just make sure to leave your personal affairs outside my classes in future, alright? That goes for both of you." He said, giving Hermione an approving smile.

Hermione snorted at the appalled look on Ron's face, his ears flushing a deep maroon as he finally figured out what Slughorn was on about. Most of the class was giggling behind their hands, and Hermione couldn't blame them. She would have laughed too if it had been someone else. Even Harry was trying with all his might not to crack a grin.

"No, Sir, we weren't…that is, me and Hermione…we're not…"

"In denial, are you?" asked Slughorn, clapping Ron on the back.

Ron frowned. "I'm in denial; I'm just selective about the reality I receive, that's all."

"Professor!" said Ernie loudly, looking very affronted by all that was happening. "Perhaps we could learn more about the Polyjuice Potion." He said, pointing at the large beaker in the professor's hand.

Slughorn looked at the potion and laughed. "By Jove boy, I completely forgot! Mind tends to wander somewhat. Yes, yes, back to this potion…"

"Why, Ron,' laughed Hermione, leaning back in her seat as Slughorn walked off engrossed in his explanation. 'If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were _embarrassed_ about our quite obvious relationship."

"Just because we fight like an old married couple, doesn't mean we are one. And will you _shut_ it, Harry?" he added softly, giving Harry a thump next to him to stop him shaking with suppressed laughter.

Hermione smiled and picked up her quill, ready to take notes. "No… not yet at least."

She didn't miss Ron blush.

----------

Ron stared up at the dark ceiling above him, sleep far away and on the horizon and not likely to come any closer any time soon. The night was particularly muggy, and he was wearing the lightest pair of pajama pants he owned and had not even bothered with a shirt. His bed covers were pooled at the bottom of his bed at his feet, and his hands were folded behind his head.

It wasn't just the heat keeping him awake, or Neville's snores from the other side of the room – he was far used to that after seven years for it to bother him anymore. No, his mind was locked on Hermione, just as it had been all day.

And not for the more pleasant reasons like in the past. For the past few days, she'd been steadily changing, and he hadn't the foggiest idea why. Harry apparently didn't share his concern, for when Ron had confronted him about his thoughts that night at dinner, Harry had simply shrugged it off as 'girl problems' and had gone back to his meal. But, as complicated as 'girl problems' could be, not to mention unexplainable and confusing, his gut was telling him that that wasn't it. After all, Ron had grown up with Ginny and had first-hand experience with 'girl problems' and the wrath they could incur if in their path – Harry had not.

Hermione didn't seem to have a problem anyway…and that was the worry. Nothing seemed to bother anymore. Their argument during potions normally would have insured that the two of them would retain a steely silence around each other for a few days until the flame of indignation burnt out. But this time she had gotten over it almost immediately; and not only that, had actually joked about it! Something she'd never done in the past.

Ron sighed and rolled over onto his side, pillowing his head on his arm. Maybe he was worrying for no reason. After all, people changed. It was natural and unavoidable, and maybe after all these years she was taking a leaf out of his and Harry's books, and was lightening up a little. Everything about her lately was lighter; her demeanor, her attitude, her clothing, her smile…

He jumped and frowned at the sound of the dormitory door opening. The floorboards were creaking, and someone was moving around. Shrugging it off for someone getting up to use the loo, he scratched his nose and hopped back on his train of thought.

It wasn't necessarily a bad thing if Hermione was taking life a little too seriously. After all, he'd been telling her to do just that for nearly seven years. But it was just the fact that she was denying anything different that made his ears prick up in suspicion. Not to mention it had just all happened so fast! Like one morning she'd woken up and decided that she wasn't going to be her old self anymore. What had happened to make her change so drastically so quickly? Had he done something wrong? Had he picked on her haughtiness one too many times for her to take? Had he not taken enough notice of her in the past? Had something happened to…

"Ron?"

Ron jumped at the soft whisper behind him. He rolled onto his back, made a small part in the bed hangings and squinted out into the dull light of the room beyond, searching for the person.

"Harry? That you?" he whispered.

"No, it's me."

Ron's eyes widened. That was a girl's voice.

"_Hermione_?"

Hermione's head peeked through a gap in the hangings where his hand had been. She looked down at him, taking a moment to realize he was half naked, before biting her lip and forcing her eyes away from his belly and back up to his face.

"I'm…I'm sorry." She whispered softly.

Ron sat up, feeling alarmed. "What is it? Are you alright? Has something happened? Is it Ginny?"

"No, Ginny's fine." She said with a small smile. "I just…"

"What? What's the matter?"

She sighed, and even in the disgraceful light he could see her face flush red. "I was sitting in the common room…I couldn't sleep. And I got up to go to bed and, somehow, I ended up here. Oh, Ron, I'm sorry. I'm disturbing you, and at this hour…"

"No, its okay." He muttered softly, feeling himself flush red as well. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him without a shirt on, but it was most certainly first time she'd been equally as undressed. She was in her summer, cotton pajama shorts and top to match and her hair was up in that twist behind her head that he'd recently come to really find attractive.

She rubbed her face and sighed. "I was wondering…would it be alright if I sat with you for a while?"

Ron spluttered softly. "Sat with me? Here? In my _bed_?"

"Just for a little while, please?"

He was too shocked to say anything. Didn't this break every fraternizing rule she had ever set for all the prefects, younger students and especially for herself? And why, if she wanted to talk to someone, couldn't she have gone to Ginny? Or even Harry? Why had she gone to _him_?

"Look, if I go out there now the odds are someone's going to see me and rat on me for walking out of the boys dorm at this time of night, and you _know_ what they'll be thinking." She whispered, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"You can't stay here all night, though. That would be even worse in the morning!"

"Not all night, just until we're sure everyone's asleep."

He didn't know why he wanted her to stay so badly, but he did. And he could see, funnily enough, in her face that she wanted to stay as well. But, wasn't this crossing that line? That fine line between friends and something else?

_Oh shut it, Weasley, she's just gonna sit on your bed and talk for Merlin's sake._

Ron bit his lip, looked around for a moment and finally sighed. "Alright, but just for a little while."

Hermione smiled as Ron shifted over to allow her room. She climbed in and sat herself down at the foot of the bed, crossing her legs in front of her as Ron shut the hanging around them closed once more.

"So, you bring girls in here often?" she whispered, quirking a playful eyebrow at him.

Ron snorted. "Oh yeah, I'm a real stud in that department."

"Lavender thinks you are."

"Great, one girl in the entire school. A record!"

"_I_ think you are."

Hermione smiled as Ron looked at her, knowing full well that he was blushing to the roots of his hair. She loved making him blush; it was one of the most adorable things she'd ever seen. That gobsmaked look he got on his face was priceless, and ever since she had first seen it that night of the Yule Ball in fourth year, she had done everything possible to try and invoke it again.

Ron laughed softly and ruffled his hair, leaning back against his pillows. "Again with the flirting?"

"Again with you liking it?"

He snorted as she moved around and lay down beside him. "What's gotten into you, then?"

"Mmm, what do you mean?" she whispered, arching up like a cat as she stretched out.

Ron swallowed back a moan, trying not to look at her chest as it rose into the air. "Well, since when do you flirt with anyone, especially me? And since when do you openly admit to doing it?"

Hermione smiled and closed her eyes, putting her hands behind her head. "It's all just a bit of fun, Ron. Surely you of all people know what 'fun' entails."

"Yeah, fun, sure…like playing chess and going for a fly and putting itching powder in Filch's under things. When I think of Hermione and fun, I think of books and knitting hats and making new badges for spew, not flirting or jumping into guy's beds."

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do." She said, looking up at him.

Ron smiled and lay down beside her, linking his hands over his chest. "Hermione, you're the one subject I _am_ good at."

Hermione smiled, for once having nothing to say.

"This is why I know that something's up with you.' He said, giving her a look. 'It might not be anything to worry about, and it may not be that big of a deal. But there's something, of that much I'm positive."

"I don't think I've ever known you to be so…' she trailed off, looking for the right word.

"Handsome? Charming? Witty?" he counted off, smiling.

"Modest?" she giggled.

Ron shrugged. "Eh, what can I say? I'm just a loveable guy."

"Yes, you are." She said, giving him another once-over. When had that chest become a man's chest anyway? What had happened to that lanky, awkward demeanor he used to have?

"You tired yet?"

"No, but talk about the Cannons for me – that should do the trick."

--------

Ron screwed up his eyes against the invasion of bright light and groaned. Blimey, was it morning already? He was far too comfortable to move or to even attempt to get up, let alone to simply open his eyes. He felt warm and well-rested, as if he'd had ten years of deep slumber.

Reluctantly, he dragged his eyelids apart and blinked rapidly against the rays of sun, the dormitory slowly coming into focus around him. It was quiet in the room, and he supposed everyone had gone down to breakfast already. It seemed strange though that Harry had gone on without him and not woken him like he did every other morning.

And it was only when Ron looked over at Harry's bed beside him in confusion, did he finally see Harry sitting on the edge of his bed, fully dressed and watching Ron with a smug smile on his face.

Ron frowned at Harry's smile. What the blazes could he have been so smug about? He was just sitting there, his hands on his knees, watching Ron with a smirk that suggested he knew something Ron didn't.

And Ron was about to snap at him and demand what he was grinning at, when he felt someone move beside him.

With a pang of horror, Ron looked down at the girl beside him, her arm around him; her leg wrapped around his and her bushy head nestled comfortably in the hollow of his shoulder. Hermione was dozing softly, a faint snore emitting from the part in her lips. Her pajamas top had ridden up a little, exposing her lower back and belly and her shorts had ridden up her thigh too, exposing a lot of skin. Realizing how this must look, with him half naked and her lying up against him, Ron looked back at Harry in horror.

Harry's grin only widened. "Have a good night?" he chuckled softly.

Ron gaped at him, frozen like a deer in headlights. He was torn in two different directions; one, the want to stay completely still so as not to disturb Hermione, and two, the desire to leap out of bed and belt that look off Harry's face.

"If you say one word about this…" whispered Ron, glaring at Harry threateningly.

Harry snorted. "Who the bloody hell am I going to tell? Well, besides Ginny of course…"

"Don't you dare tell Ginny!" he snapped softly, going red. "Merlin, I'd never hear the bloody end of it."

Ron put an arm around Hermione softly, strangely finding her lying next to him first thing in the morning rather nice. She was warm, cradled against him, and he felt safe somehow. Like just her being there was enough protection from the world and all its horrors.

He looked back at Harry. "This isn't how it looks, you know." He muttered softly.

"Ah, so seeing Hermione lying in your bed with her arm and leg around you while you're wearing nothing but a pair of pants is just another of those sick, demented visions Voldemort likes to sends me, is it?"

Ron's ears went red. "We were just talking."

"Oh, 'talking'…is that what they're calling it now?"

"Shut it, tosser." Snapped Ron.

Harry laughed softly, enjoying himself immensely. "Don't know why you're so embarrassed – having a good looking bird in your bed is meant to be something to smile about. Unless there's something about you you're not telling me."

"A good looking bird? It's _Hermione,_ you sick sod!"

"What, you don't think she's pretty?" asked Harry, frowning.

Ron spluttered, trying to keep his voice down. "Well, I er…um…"

"I know you've noticed – no point pretending you haven't." smiled Harry. "And I know you're not the only one who thinks so. Neville, what do you think?"

"_Neville_?" hissed Ron in alarm, flushing a brilliant shade of red.

Neville Longbottom, who had just entered the room and gone to his trunk, looked up at Harry. "What do I think about what?"

"Hermione, gorgeous, yay or nay?" said Harry, leaning back on his hands.

Neville thought for a moment, before smiling nervously. "Will Ron slug me if I say yes?"

"Why the blazes would I hit you?" asked Ron softly, craning his neck around the bed to look at Neville.

Neville jumped. "Ron! Sorry, I didn't know you where…' he trailed off and his eyes widened, for he had just come around to stand near Harry and had gotten a good look at the scene in Ron's bed. "_Hermione_?"

"Shh!" hissed Ron and Harry.

Neville winced and sat down heavily beside Harry. "Sorry, but…what is she doing in your bed?"

Harry smiled at Ron. "Don't worry Neville; it's not at all what it looks like."

"Oh sod off, Harry." Snapped Ron softly.

Hermione stirred, and all the boys held their breath. But she mumbled something incoherently, snuggled into Ron and simply went back to sleep again. The boys let out a breath of relief.

"Now, back to the unnecessary violence – why would you think that I would hit you?" whispered Ron, looking at Neville.

Neville shrugged. "I don't know; I guess I just always thought she was off limits."

"What gave you that impression?" asked Harry, genuinely interested.

"Well, I guess…she's always been your territory, hasn't she?" muttered Neville, looking at Ron.

Ron frowned. "_My territory_? I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting."

Neville looked between Harry and Ron, surprised that he knew something they didn't. After all, this was common knowledge amongst the older students. "Well…yeah. Am I missing something? She's your territory, just like you're hers."

"I'm _what_?" whispered Ron.

"Well, that's what Lavender told me." Shrugged Neville.

Ron sighed and rubbed his eyes, tightening his grip around Hermione. How was it possible he did not know about these rumors? How had they started?

He looked down at himself and snorted. _Duh, how had they started? What a dumb question, you prat. _

"Hey, seen as we're on the topic of Hermione,' said Neville softly. "Is er, everything alright with her?"

Ron and Harry exchanged a look. "What makes you ask that?" asked Harry.

"Are you serious?" asked Neville, looking at the both as if they were a few sandwiches short of a picnic. "You haven't noticed? She's been acting like a completely different person! I can't remember the last time I saw her in the library, let alone with a book in her hand. I mean, I know she's entitled to a few days off, but it's just something…" he trailed off, looking for the right word.

"Something weird, yeah, we noticed." Nodded Ron. "But, keep it to yourself for now, alright? We don't want to fuel the fires of gossip anymore than they already are being fanned."

Neville nodded and got up. "Sure, I wont say anything – that goes for this too." He chuckled, pointing at Hermione.

"Look, maybe we'd better go." Said Harry, pushing Neville toward the door before Ron got up and whacked him. "You'll need to wake her up – it's almost time for classes."

Ron nodded, and Harry and Neville left, closing the door shut behind them. Ron sighed and looked down at the top of Hermione's head. She just looked so peaceful when she slept, and personally he was rather comfortable where he was. But he knew that she'd scold him later if he allowed her to oversleep and miss Herbology, so with a reluctant moan, he shook her shoulder.

"Hermione? Come on, wake up now."

She stirred and groaned, her nose wrinkling up in protest. "Whasit…whaztime?" she mumbled blinking rapidly.

Ron smiled and tried to pry her off him. "Time to get up, that's what it is."

Hermione yawned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She blinked a few times, looked down at Ron and smiled. "Oh, hello." She giggled.

"Hello yourself." He said, leaping out of bed. He didn't want to get himself into a certain… _pressing_ situation with her there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep." She said, watching him pull out his school uniform.

"No, that's alright.' He said, looking for his school shirt. 'I'm just glad to know I didn't keep you awake with my snoring. And by the way, did you know you kick in your sleep?"

Hermione laid back down on her side and propped her head up, watching Ron get dressed with a smirk. "Oh, do I?"

"Yeah, you do! You could play that 'football' Dean's always going on about, you know. I hear they need to kick a lot." He said. He slipped his shirt on and put on his tie, tying it loosely around his collar. 'At least you don't talk in your sleep like Harry. Even Ginny talks! Well, blabbers incoherently more like it actually. I swear the things you find out about what goes on in the girls bathrooms simply from being in the same room when Ginny's asleep is…"

He stopped just as he hooked his thumbs into the waits of his trousers and spun around. Hermione was just laying there, her eyebrows raised and her eyes locked on him. He hadn't even noticed what it was he had been doing, he was just chatting away to her as If they were down at breakfast or something.

He laughed and put his hands on his hips. "Hermione, were you just going to let me get undressed in front of you and not say anything?"

Hermione smiled and shrugged. "You were on a roll, seemed a shame to interrupt."

Flushing red for probably the millionth time that morning, Ron stomped over to Harry's trunk and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. "Right, go on, out with you! I'll not have you sitting there while I get naked."

Hermione laughed as he threw the cloak at her. "Okay, fine, ruin my fun. But I don't see why I need this when I only need to go up the hall." She said, getting out of bed and wrapping the cloak around her.

Ron ignored the fact that now she was just a head bobbing in thin air and ushered her towards the door. "Because if anyone sees you coming out of here at this time of the morning, they'll get crazy ideas. And I'm sure the Head Girl doesn't want any absurd rumors about her and one of her prefects floating around the school before we even get down to breakfast."

"Yeah, true. Okay, see you down at breakfast then." She said.

And with one final smile, she flipped the hood up over her head and disappeared. The door opened and closed by itself, and Ron sighed in relief.

_Thank god for that_. He thought.

He grabbed the waist of his pants and went to pull them down, when something occurred to him at the last minute. He frowned and looked around the empty room, listening for a moment.

"Hermione, are you still here?" he asked, his eyes narrowed.

There was no answer, but there was a guilty vibe in the air.

"Hermione, I _know_ you're here!" yelled Ron, feeling outraged. "I need to get dressed!"

"Go ahead,' came Hermione voice from near Seamus's bed. 'I don't mind."

"_Hermione_,' he said threatingly.

There was a laugh and Hermione's head reappeared. "Oh, alright. You know, you _almost_…

"I did not almost!" he said, shocked at her cunning. "Now will you go, please?"

She snorted, blew him a kiss and disappeared again. This time, Ron made sure she was gone before continuing to get dressed.

* * *

A/N – Good? Bad? Let me know!

Please review!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6! Hooray!

* * *

"When will this heat wave bloody end?"

Ron smiled as Harry sat down on the bench beside him, letting his bag drop down onto the grass with an exhausted THUD. "Are you seriously telling me that you're not enjoying the opportunity to see girls in less uniform than they usually wear?"

Harry smirked. "Well, maybe one or two."

Ron nodded and ran a sweaty hand through his hair. "Yeah, I know that feeling."

The two boys had evacuated the castle just after their last class for the day, as their last two sessions for the day where spare and it was just too nice a day to be stuck inside doing homework. Many students were out there now before they finally gave in to hunger and went back inside.

"Hey, seen Hermione anywhere?" asked Ron, unbuttoning his shirt a little more.

Harry shook his head, reading over some notes. "Not since we left class. She said something about needing to stop at the loo, I think. I'm not entirely sure – I wasn't really listening."

Ron laughed. "Weren't listening? Mate, you're usually one of the only people that _does _listen to her."

"Yeah, well…I found myself momentarily distracted by something more important." He mumbled, going pink.

"Oh, I see." Said Ron, nodding. He was fairly sure he had a good idea what had distracted Harry – they had passed by Ginny's classroom on the way down from Charms.

Ron leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees and sighed. The sun was very hot, unusually hot for this time of year, and it was proving difficult to keep himself casual and not go all hyper like he usually did when the weather was warm. Summer was his favorite time of the year, and he loved nothing more that to spend endless hours in the sun flying on his broom, or lazing about in the garden, or going for swims in the lake. But he couldn't do any of that here. No, he was a _prefect_. He had to be mature and responsible…

Ron frowned as a whistling sound filled the air. He looked at Harry beside him, assuming he had gone into another of his little music moods and was whistling another of those muggle songs he knew so well, but Harry was looking over by the lake, a slight frown on his face.

"What's your problem?" asked Ron, noticing the whistling growing louder.

Harry nodded in the direction he was looking, and Ron looked around too.

The whistling, he had now worked out, wasn't just random noise – it was wolf whistling. Instantly, Ron smirked, looking for the reason why most guys in the vicinity had began joining in the chorus of cat calls. There could be only one reason, really – there was a very attractive girl nearby. Looking out into the grounds, a group of guys had congregated near the large oak, blocking whoever this girl was from view.

"Bugger, cant they _move_?" he grumbled, craning his neck to see.

Harry rubbed his chin, giving Ron a look. "Um, are you sure you want to…'

But he didn't get a chance to finish, for as Ron stood up to get a better look at this girl everyone was swooning over, the crowd of boys parted and out of the middle of them, strode Hermione.

Ron's mouth dropped open. He simply couldn't help it. The scene before him was just too bizarre to properly comprehend. Hermione was dressed her most daring yet, with her skirt hitched up just that little bit higher, her top two shirt buttons undone, showing cleavage, and her shirt scrunched up at the bottom and held up just near her ribs, exposing her flat belly. Her hair was up in that twist behind her head and she had rolled up her sleeves.

And it wasn't just what she was wearing, or how she was wearing it either. It was the way she was walking; her hips swinging and her walk confident and determined, for she knew she had the attention of these hormone-riddled boys and was positively lapping it up for all it was worth. Her back was straight and her chest was pressed out, and there was a very coy smirk on her face as she looked at the boys around her, enjoying their admiring looks and wolf whistles.

Ron sat back down heavily on the stone bench as Hermione made her way over to them, giving a few blokes a wink as she passed them.

"Ah, _here_ you two are! Honestly, I had to ask a good seven people before anyone could give me any indication of where you both toddled off to. Really, a girl can't go for a pee for five seconds without loosing her two handbags." She laughed, putting her hands on her hips.

Harry and Ron just stared up at her.

Hermione frowned. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, you know, I have no idea." Said Harry.

Hermione, missing his sarcasm, simply smiled. "Well, that's nothing unusual now is it?"

And to Ron's utter surprise, she sat down in his, Ron's, lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"So, what's the battleplan for this afternoon? Ernie keeps stalking me about these prefect meetings, so do you think whatever it is, we can do it in Gryffindor Tower or something? That way he's less likely to come up there and bombard me with questions." She said, looking at them both in turn.

Harry exchanged a look with Ron, both of them almost telepathically sharing the same worries. They thought that perhaps this had been somewhat of a novelty for Hermione, all this carefree attitude she had been throwing about, but this now was something to really be worried about. She wasn't just keeping it in the circle – the entire school was seeing it now.

And no-body changed _that_ drastically in just over a week.

Hermione frowned at the two boys again. "Um, hello?"

Ron shook himself, and without even thinking, put a hand on her hip to steady her. "Sorry, what?"

"Am I going to get and answer, or are you two just going to sit there and stare lovingly into each other's eyes for a few more hours?" she asked, looking at both Harry and Ron in turn.

"No, course not.' Said Ron, taking a moment to notice all the looks he was getting from people as they walked past. 'We were just going to relax, you know. Play some chess, go for a fly…maybe even do a little homework if we become insanely bored."

Hermione laughed. "Are you serious? You'd do homework _willingly_?"

"We're not complete dunces, you know, Hermione." Said Harry with a smile, getting up.

"Whoa, wait, where are you going?" asked Ron quickly. He didn't want to be left alone with Hermione in his lap.

Harry smiled. "Nature calls, and it is my duty to answer it. Don't worry, I'll see you later. Play nice you two – no biting."

And with a wave, he left.

Without Harry's presence as a distraction, Ron suddenly became very aware of Hermione in his lap. She was leaning up again him as if it were a perfectly normal gesture, his eyes level with her chest, and he couldn't help but have something of a reaction to her. Not a large reaction, but a reaction all the same. It was highly embarrassing, and it was bad enough that he had them even when she wasn't sitting in his lap.

Hermione sighed happily and looked down at him. "This is nice."

"What is?"

"This." She said pointedly.

Ron smiled nervously. "Sitting in my lap is nice?"

Hermione smiled. "You're not having fun?"

"I think you're clever enough to know that I am, Hermione."

"Well, that's good,' she said, leaning down and pressing her forehead against his. 'Because I'd feel rather silly otherwise."

This was all far too weird to even start to work out. This was something Lavender would have done with him, and he never would have expected it from anyone else, let alone Hermione. He really didn't know what she was playing at. Didn't she know that this wasn't a game for him? He'd been crushing over her for years now, and the only time he had ever come close to holding her like this had been in his dreams. She'd never said anything about liking him more than a friend, and yet now here she was, her face so close their lips were almost touching.

Ron laughed nervously and pulled away, lifting her right up off her lap and getting to his feet. "Look, Hermione, I don't know what's gotten into you or what you've been inhaling, but I don't want to play this game anymore."

Looking rather put out, Hermione frowned. "Game? What game?"

"This game, whatever it is you're doing with me.' He said, getting a little annoyed.

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Ron, I have no idea…"

"No, you're right. You don't have any idea at all, it seems!" he snapped. "I don't get what's happening to you! Your clothes, your attitude…you're turning into a completely different person!" he yelled.

"I beg your pardon, but who for the last seven years has been telling me to lighten up? And did that same person not just last week tell me to stop dressing like one of the queen's guards and dress more sensibly?" snapped Hermione, poking him in the chest. "You're a hypocrite Ron – I don't think you really know what you want!"

"_Me_?' he laughed nastily, drawing himself up. 'What about _you_? You change your mind about things more often that you change your bloody underwear! I cant keep up with what it is you want from me, and the only time I know I'm too late is when you scream at me like a Banshee!"

"What the blazes are you _talking_ about?" she yelled, her eyes narrowed.

By now, they had attracted a rather large audience. Most of the student body knew that the fights between Ron and Hermione were always something worth watching, and there was no doubt that they would soon become legend.

"Gee, you know, I have absolutely no idea, Hermione!" Ron snapped back, his tone dripping with bitter sarcasm. "It's not like you're acting less like yourself and more like some hussy lately."

Everyone nearby less out a low 'Ooh' as Hermione flinched, his words obviously hitting her in a sore spot. She looked ready to slap him, but otherwise remained calm.

"And you would know, wouldn't you? Having had experience with a hussy in the past." She retorted angrily.

Another 'Ooh' from the crowd.

Ron frowned. "Don't change this away from the point, Hermione. This isn't about Lavender."

"What _is_ it about then, Ron?' she asked, now more curious than angry. 'Why are you getting all indignant about such a small thing like me sitting on your lap?"

Ron didn't know quite where to start with that one, so he took the most recent example for his defense. "The games you've been playing with me this last week, dammit! The hand holding, he cheek kissing, the flirting, the hopping into my bed in the middle of the night!"

Hermione ignored the whispers invoked by this amongst their audience. Ron was breathing hard, and his eyes flashing with an anger that she really didn't understand.

"Ron, what do you…I thought that you…' she muttered.

And then it all clicked into gear.

She frowned at him. "You really have no idea, do you?" she muttered in disbelief.

Ron blinked, unprepared for her sudden change in reaction.

"But, after all the times I've…' she said softly, talking more to herself than anything. '…after everything we've…and the years…' She looked up at Ron and her eyes narrowed. 'You really think this is all just some foolish _game_?" she snapped.

Ron's eyes widened as incredibly, she rushed forward and shoved him hard in the chest, making him stumble backward and almost loose his balance. The surrounding students let out a collective gasp of surprise at the Head Girls sudden show of violence, but she ignored them.

"You really are a daft bastard, aren't you, Ron?" she snarled.

And with that, she let out one more cry of anger and stormed off into the castle.

Ron just watched her go, stupidly rubbing his chest where she had whacked him. He didn't know whether or not to go after her, so he simply stumbled back over to the bench and collapsed down onto it, his mind in a very fast whirl. It wasn't the fact that they'd fought, or the fact that the fight had come from practically no-where – that happened all the time. But this time, she had actually hit him…and it had hurt. And not only that, but she had swore too. She had called him a _bastard_! But, she _never_ swore…

He looked up and blinked, finding a good portion of the school standing there, looking at him. "What are you lot staring at?" he snapped. As he had hoped they all remembered themselves and bustled off, no doubt to gossip about what it was they had just witnessed.

He groaned and put his face in his hands. It wasn't really any of these things that really bothered him; it was more the fact that she had looked so hurt. But he really couldn't understand why! If anyone should be upset, it should have been him! As embarrassing as it was to consider it, he had a suspicion that Hermione knew that he fancied her a little, and that's all this had been…she had been teasing him about it.

But then, why did she look so upset? Not insulted, not angry…just upset.

"Hey, sorry I took ages." Said a voice suddenly.

Ron looked up at see Harry standing there, his cloak hung over his forearm. He was smiling down at Ron, but it vanished as soon as he saw the look on Ron's face.

"Blimey, what's wrong with you? You look as if your owl's just died." Said Harry, frowning in concern. "And where did Hermione go?"

Scowling, Ron stood up, swung his bag over his arm and stormed off toward the castle without a word, Harry not far behind.

---------

Ginny pranced up the stairs to the girls dorms with a quick stride. She kept her head down and went right for her desired destination, not wanting to get distracted by the constant flow of gossip that hung in the air more heavily than the smell of perfume. Sometimes a good round of hear-say was just too tempting to ignore.

She knew the way up to the room off by heart, and really didn't need to look up to know where she was going. But perhaps it would have been a good idea, considering how she slammed right into Parvati just outside the Seventh year girl's room.

"Ow! Ginny, watch it!" laughed Parvati, rubbing her arm.

Ginny smiled apologetically. "Oh, sorry. I was off on another planet."

"No, that's alright. Where are you headed?"

"To see Hermione, actually. She in there?"

To Ginny's surprise, Parvati looked around to see if anyone was listening, grabbed Ginny by the arm and led her a small distance away from the door of her room.

"So, you've noticed then?" she whispered, her head bent close to Ginny's.

"Er, sorry…noticed?"

"The way she's been acting lately.' Said Parvati softly, looking genuinely concerned. 'You're one of her best friends Ginny; I thought you would have picked it up."

Ginny sighed, finding the option of pretending that nothing was wrong to be an empty one. If _Parvati_ had noticed, then everyone would have by now.

"Yeah, I noticed.' She admitted softly. 'Why, what's she said to you?"

"Heaps of things, actually." Said Parvati, looking at the dormitory door behind her as if Hermione was standing right there. "And it's not so much what she says either, but what she does as well. Like the other day, for example, I accidentally walked into the bathroom while she was in the shower and, you know, normally she gets all embarrassed and annoyed and tells me to get out. But instead, she laughs at me for being so apologetic, tells me to come on in and starts _chatting_ to me!"

To an outsider, this would have sounded rather unimportant. But to those who knew Hermione well, this news was rather the eye-opener to just how differently she was now acting. Ginny knew exactly what Parvati was talking about; Hermione wouldn't even shave her legs in the same room as Ginny, let alone shower. And to do it with Parvati in the room, someone Hermione wasn't even all that close to…

"Look, I don't want to pry,' whispered Parvati. 'But maybe she just needs someone to talk to. You get my meaning?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Well, she's in there now, _grooming_ of all things." Said Parvati, rolling her eyes. "I'll let you girls talk."

Ginny nodded, and Parvati gave her one last smile and disappeared down the stairs. Ginny shook her head in disbelief, stepped forward and pushed the door open.

"Knock knock, just me!" she announced, sticking her head in the room.

She spotted Hermione instantly, kneeling beside her bed in front of her wide open trunk, going through all her clothes as if search for something. Shirts, pants, and skirts were strewn all over the floor, as if Hermione had simply flipped them over her shoulder after doing whatever it was she was doing with them.

Hermione looked around the moment the door opened and smiled at Ginny. "Oh, hey! Come in, come in."

Ginny snorted and shut the door behind her. "So, spring cleaning?" she asked, picking up one of Hermione's school skirts as she made her way over.

"Hardly. Who would have thought I would have so many useless articles of clothing in such a small trunk?" laughed Hermione, holding up a muggle t-shirt and then discarding it over her shoulder.

Taking a moment to look around the room, Ginny noticed straight away that besides the flood of clothes, it seemed a little messier than usual. Hermione's normal order of books, parchment and clothing was now looking a little like Hiroshima. Her books were simply dumped at the foot of her bed beside her bag, nothing like the perfect piles she normally stacked them in.

"So, anyway, what brings you here?" asked Hermione, grimacing at one of her older red shirts.

"Oh, er…you wouldn't happen to have a spare test tube or vial on you, would you?' said Ginny, remembering suddenly why she was there. 'See, I've got potions soon, and old Sluggy thought it would be a good idea if we each brought in ingredients from the gardens and mixed them together to see what happens. And, well, I haven't got anything spare to put it in."

"You know, actually, I think I do have something." Said Hermione.

She dropped the jeans she was looking at and crawled over to her bag. Rummaging through it, she muttered to herself about something that sounded like incompetent school supplies.

"Blast, I know I had one…where the bloody hell…aha!" she cried triumphantly, pulling out a small glass vial. "Here you are. Will that do?" she asked, getting to her feet.

Ginny took it and examined it for a moment. "Yeah, it should. Thanks! But, what was it doing in your bag?"

"Oh, I found it one night during rounds and forgot all about it." Said Hermione, going back to her trunk.

"You found it?" asked Ginny, frowning.

"Yeah. Well, I didn't actually _find_ it per se…it was Pansy Parkinson's."

At the mention of this name, Ginny stood up a little straighter. She looked down at the vial in her hand, and saw that there was a little red tinge to it. So, it had belonged to Pansy Parkinson? What had been in it?

"And what, she just decided to give you a vial as a present for being such a good Head Girl?" asked Ginny.

Hermione snorted. "Yeah, like that would ever happen.' She muttered, holding up one of her white school shirts for a moment, then folding it up and putting it on her bed. 'No, I ran across her during rounds the other day and she dropped some potion. I cleaned up the mess and kept the vial."

Alarm was quickly rising in Ginny's chest. "Potion? What potion?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, what happened when it smashed?"

"Nothing really. Just a bit of smoke, is all. Honestly, I don't think she made it that well to be frank…'

"Smoke?" cried Ginny. How was Hermione to calm about all this? "You didn't breathe it in, did you?"

Hermione looked around at Ginny. "It was kind of hard not to, seen as it smashed right in front of me. And yes, I know what you're thinking!' she added upon seeing Ginny's mouth drop open.

"You breathed in some smoke from a potion that was made by one of your biggest enemies? Hermione, that could have been _anything_ you inhaled in! Merlin's ghost, why the bloody hell didn't you go to the infirmary?" she demanded.

"Because there wasn't enough time! I had to meet Ron down at the Great Hall, and if I had gone to see Madam Pomfrey I would have been late.' Explained Hermione. 'Besides, I didn't seem in any immediate danger."

"_In any immediate_…'

"I checked everything the morning after and nothing had changed!' said Hermione sharply, cutting off Ginny's outraged cry. 'Honestly Ginny, do you think I'd be silly enough not to go to the infirmary if there had been something wrong?"

"Well, no, I suppose not. But really, Hermione…'

"Ginny, it's been over a week.' Said Hermione getting to her feet and slipping out of her shirt. 'Don't you think that; if the potion had been made properly – which I highly doubt it was – that we would have seen something by now?"

"Yes, perhaps, but you really should…'

"Stop fretting, will you?" laughed Hermione, slipping on the new shirt and crossing to Ginny, taking her hands. "We all know Pansy isn't renowned for her fabulous skills at potion making, and besides…nothing different, is it?"

_Only you_, thought Ginny. Was _this _what had been happening? Was Hermione affected by some potion or spell made by Pansy Parkinson? But then again, Hermione did have a point when she said Pansy wasn't the best potion brewer in the world…

Resolving to tackle this later, Ginny sighed and changed the subject. "What are you doing with your clothes?"

"Oh, looking for something different to wear." Said Hermione, pursing her lips as she looked back at the room over her shoulder.

Ginny shook her head and clutched the vial in her hand tightly, knowing there was no way she was going to use it now. "Look, are you done? We can go get some dinner."

"Sorry, cant."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm going out."

Ginny blinked, following Hermione's progress as she made her way back to her bed. "Out? Where are you going so close to dinner?"

"London."

"_London_?"

"Yes,' said Hermione, giving Ginny a smile as she preened herself. 'You want to come?"

"What? No, I don't want to come! Hermione, why the bloody hell are you going into to London? No, scratch that – _how_ are you going into London? We're not meant to leave the school grounds without permission from a teacher or…"

"Yes, Ginny, I know the rules." Laughed Hermione, grabbing a bottle of perfume from Lavender's bedside table and spraying herself with it. 'I'll only be a few hours, okay?"

And without giving her a chance to say anything more, Hermione gathered up a purse from her bed, slipped her shoes on and headed out of the room, giving Ginny a kiss on the cheek as she passed.

----------

"She called you a _what_?"

Ron nodded at Harry's look of astonishment. "I know! I've never heard her call anyone a bastard before – not even Malfoy."

"And she shoved you too?"

"Yep."

"Did it hurt?"

"As much as it pains my male ego to admit it, yeah…it kinda did."

The two boys were heading up from the boys bathroom where they had been discussing the latest development in the ever-changing Hermione situation, up to Gryffindor tower to get Ginny and Hermione to go down to dinner. Harry had been stunned to hear about the way Hermione had reacted to Ron, as it was much different from most of the ways their arguments normally ended.

"I'm telling you mate, I've seen it all. I've seen her niggle me, blast me, get irritated with me…' said Ron, bypassing students. "…but I've never seen before what I just saw now. It was just so…raw. Like, normally she doesn't hold anything back. You've seen that! But it was something else, something different."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, I believe you."

Ron looked at Harry in slight surprise. "You do? Really?"

"Well, yeah. No-one knows Hermione's moods as well as you do." Said Harry, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Ron sighed and rubbed his chin, stepping around a few more students before coming back to Harry's side. "I wish that were still true. They way she's been acting lately…'

"Ron! Harry!"

Both boys spun around at the sound of both their names being called. She watched as a bob of long red hair fought its way through the crowd. Ginny was shoving people out of the way, a look of alarm on her face.

"Hey, Ginny, what's wrong?" asked Ron as Ginny finally got to them.

She sighed, brushing hair out of her face impatiently. 'I have been looking everywhere for you two." She panted.

"Why, what's the matter?" asked Harry, looking worried.

Ginny straightened up and held something up in her hand. Ron and Harry looked at the vial and then back at the youngest Weasley.

"I think I know what's wrong with Hermione."

* * *

A/N – sorry this took so long to get out guys. Hope you enjoyed it anyway!

Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7! Hooray!

* * *

"Ron…Ron wait! Ron, slow down, dammit! _Ron_…"

Ignoring his sister's pleas as she and Harry followed, Ron pelted down the corridors with a steely determination. He didn't know where she would be, or what he would exactly do when he found her, but none of that mattered in that moment. He was acting on impulse, and this was what his first instincts were telling him to do.

"Ron, _stop_!" cried Ginny, trying desperately to keep up with her brother's long strides.

"No, Ginny." he threw back over his shoulder.

Harry sighed impatiently, rushed forward and grabbed Ron's arm, pulling him to a halt with great difficulty. "Ron, tearing off in search of her isn't going to do you much good."

"Are you _insane_?" yelled Ron angrily, glaring at Harry as Ginny finally caught up with them. "Are you seriously telling me that you're not absolutely furious at that bitch right now?"

"Of course I'm angry!" retorted Harry, his face screwed up in indignation. 'And quite honestly, if Pansy were a bloke I'd tear off after her in a mad rage and want to break her face in just as much as you do! I love Hermione too, remember?"

"Then why are we still standing here?" growled Ron, his eyes narrowing.

Ginny rolled her eyes and grabbed Ron by the front of his shirt. "Ron, be rational. You can't just storm up to Pansy Parkinson and demand answers."

"I really don't see why not." Said Ron angrily, ripping his arm free from Harry's grip.

"Because we've got no proof it was her!' snapped Ginny. 'Don't look at me like that either! _I_ know it was her, just as much as you and Harry do. But _think_ about it Ron, we can't accuse her when we have nothing to back it up. And if you confront her about it like I know you're going to, with brute force if you could, she'd report you to McGonagall, then _you'd_ be the one in trouble and Pansy would get off scot-free!"

Ron simply stood there fuming, his ears flushed bright red and his hands clenched at his sides. He knew that, in the back of his mind, that Ginny was being the voice of reason in this scenario and had a very valid point. He couldn't very well hex a confession out of Pansy without there being consequences.

But he really didn't care about that at the moment. All that mattered was Hermione.

"But we can't just do nothing!" cried Ron, throwing his arms up in frustration.

"I agree.' Nodded Harry, stroking his chin like he normally did when he was making a decision.

The three of them stood in silence for a moment as the crowd around them cleared, everyone heading down to the Great Hall for dinner.

"But the question is,' muttered Harry, gathering Ron and Ginny closer to him so they would not be overheard. 'What do we do now? What's our next move?"

"I still like my idea of torture, quite frankly." Said Ron, folding his arms over his chest.

Ginny snorted. "And you wonder why we never played Simon Says with you when we were little."

"Ginny, is there any potion left in the vial?" asked Harry pointedly. "Maybe we can test it, see what it is."

She sighed, pulled the vial out of her pocket and held it up, examining it closely with a squint. "Not that I can see – just a red tinge, really."

"Great, so Pansy Parkinson has turned Hermione into raving lunatic with Essence of Ketchup?" asked Ron.

"Well why don't we stick your big, slobbering tongue in it and you can taste test it and find out!" She snapped.

"Will you two cut it out?" snapped Harry slapping them both in the arm. "This isn't helping…we should be focusing on Hermione."

The two siblings went a bashful red and muttered their apologies. Harry rolled his eyes at their immaturity and took the vial out of Ginny's hand, taking a moment to examine it for himself.

"Alright, come on. We're smart, we can work this out." Said Ginny.

"She can't have just made it up off the top of her head,' said Harry rationally. 'She must have gotten it from somewhere here in the library…especially if it's making Hermione act so strangely."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, but I don't reckon she would have got it from the restricted section. You don't get in there without a note, even if you are a Prefect – there's no way she got it from in there."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Great, so that narrows it down to only another hundred million potential books."

"I bet Hermione would know it – there isn't a book in that bloody library she hasn't studied.' said Harry, pacing.

"Why don't we just go and ask her about it then?' suggested Ron. 'I mean, she may be mental, but she's still Hermione, isn't she?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, good idea. Ginny, you said you were just with her, right? Any idea where she is now?"

Ginny bit her lip, wondering how to tell the two boys this. "Um…sorta."

Ron and Harry exchanged a glance. "_Sorta_? Gee, you know, its lucky you weren't vague or anything about that." Snapped Ron.

"What do you mean, sorta?" asked Harry gently, shoving Ron aside. "Didn't you just say that…"

"Yes, I know.' Said Ginny, butting in. She sighed, figuring that there was no way to break this to them easily. 'Look, the fact of the matter is…she's gone."

Harry and Ron simply stared at her. It was that moment in which you heard very shocking news and you didn't quite know how to react, so you simply didn't. But Ginny knew it wouldn't last very long, and sure enough…

"What do you mean she's _GONE_?' roared Ron, grabbing Ginny by the arms. 'Gone where, exactly?"

"London."

"_London_?"

"You just let her leave?" asked Harry, looking at Ginny in amazement.

Ginny frowned. "Excuse me, but this is so not my fault! How was I meant to stop her? Stun the girl?"

"That would have been a good idea, yes!" Snapped Ron, letting go of her.

"Look, lets not get into a fight amongst ourselves, shall we?" said Harry, putting himself between them again. "We need to figure out what this potion is and get Hermione back here fast so we can work on an antidote."

Ron gave Ginny one last glare around Harry, before nodding. "How right you are.

And with that, he pelted off again.

Harry rolled his eyes, grabbed Ginny's arm and dragged her off after him. "Ron, would you stop? You don't even know where to start looking!" he called after him.

But Ron ignored him. All he cared about was getting to the library and going through every single book. Even if he had to stay there all night, he was going to find out what that cow Parkinson had done to his Hermione. And then he was going to make the antidote himself, and then they were going to get Hermione and…

SMACK.

Just as he had come to the corner, he had barreled right into someone – someone small.

"Ow! Bloody _hell_…" cried Ron. He rubbed his chest and looked down at the girl before him. "Luna, don't you watch where you're going?"

Luna Lovegood, who had only just steadied herself from the impact, frowned up at him. "Well, you weren't exactly giving way to pedestrians, were you Ronald?' she said, flipping hair out of her huge eyes. 'What's all the hullabaloo about? I could hear you all the way up that corridor."

"Nothing,' muttered Ron, feeling impatient. 'We were just…'

"Walking the halls in meaningless circles." Finished Ginny, as she and Harry came up behind him.

Luna's eyes brightened. "Oh, really? You know, I also do that quite often! Just the other day, I was on my way down to the girls' lavatory, and…'

"Luna, I'm sure this is really fascinating, but we really don't have the time right now." Said Ron, rudely moving around her.

Harry frowned and smiled apologetically at the blonde. "Don't listen to him…he's just under a bit of stress. He's usually not a big, arrogant oaf – well, not so much anyway."

"Well excuse _me_ if I happen to be the only one present even a little concerned!" he snapped over his shoulder.

"Concerned?" asked Luna, looking at Ginny as Harry stormed off after Ron.

Ginny sighed and indicated for Luna to follow. "Yeah, we're in a spot of bother you might say."

"Oh, really?' said Luna, turning her surprised eyes to the back of Ron. 'Does this have anything to do with Hermione Granger leaving just now?"

Ron literally skidded to a halt, causing Harry to go crashing into the back of him. Ron shoved Harry aside irritably and rushed back to Luna.

"You saw her leave?"

"Yes, I did."

"When, Luna?" asked Harry.

Luna recoiled a little at the three of them looking at her like they wanted to attack her for information. "Just now. I was down in the Great Hall and she passed me."

"Did she say anything to you?" asked Ginny.

Luna shook her head. "No, she just smiled and waved – rather like a queen, actually, now that I think about it."

Ron groaned and smacked his forehead with his hand.

"Why? Are you meant to meet her someplace?" inquired Luna.

"No, it's not really like that." Said Harry, exchanging a glance with Ginny. Should they tell her? Luna wasn't really the type to go spreading things around, and they had learned from previous experience that they could trust her.

Ginny sighed and shot a glance at Ron. He was facing away from them, his brown wrinkled in thought and deep concern. "Look, Luna, truth is…Hermione's not herself lately."

Luna nodded. "Yes, I had started to notice that when she gave that Lap dance to Marcus Belby the other day."

"She did _WHAT_?" bellowed Ron, whirling around and looking outraged.

"Yes, poor Marcus…he looked to be enjoying it, but had to stop her. I don't know, she said it was all just in good fun." Shrugged Luna.

Ron let out a whimper and covered his face with his hands. Ginny tapped him sympathetically on the arm, while Harry pursed his lips trying not to laugh.

"It is all very peculiar, isn't it?' said Luna, continuing her dreamy conversation as if to no-one in particular. 'I don't think I've ever seen her act so strangely. At first I rather thought she'd contracted a nasty round of the Slanted-Personality virus, but then I thought perhaps it had to do with that potion Pansy Parkinson was making for her, but I didn't find that high possibility either and…"

"Whoa, wait a minute!' cried Ron, clapping a hand over her mouth to stop her rambling. 'What did you just say?"

"The Slanted-Personality virus? Well, it's actually fascinating, because you see it…"

"No, not that bit!' cried Harry. 'The part about Pansy Parkinson!"

"Oh, that,' giggled Luna. 'Well, I was in the library the other night, looking for a book for my Transfiguration essay – that's due next week too, remember Ginny. Anyway, I saw Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode in the aisle next to mine through the shelf and heard them talking."

"How did you know what they were talking about, then?' asked Ron. 'Were you eavesdropping?"

"Yes."

Ron blinked, stunned by her honesty.

"What were they saying, Luna?" asked Ginny, trying not to laugh.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure. I had come into the conversation rather late and didn't understand everything they were talking about.' Said Luna, looking into space as she tried to remember. 'But I did hear Hermione's name mentioned and something about them giving her a potion."

Harry frowned. "You…Luna, why didn't you _stop_ them?" he demanded angrily.

"Well, I am most sorry about that, Harry,' she said defensively. 'But I assume they wanted to give her a potion, not _give_ it to her. I thought it had to do with schoolwork. And besides, when has Pansy Parkinson ever made a successful potion?"

Ron blew air through his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Well, at least now we definitely know it was her. If only we'd asked earlier…'

"Don't go getting caught up in the 'what if's', Ron…they'll drive you barmy." Said Ginny sternly.

"So, Pansy Parkinson really has done something to Hermione then?" asked Luna lightly, her eyes widening.

Harry nodded. "Seems that way."

"Dear me, that's dreadful.' Said Luna. 'What are you three going to do about it?"

At this, Ron's eyes widened – the trademark sign that meant he was getting an idea. "Luna, do you remember the book Pansy was looking at?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, I do."

"But how is that going to help?' asked Ginny, rolling her eyes again. 'Pansy could have used any potion in the entire book, or even put a mix together from two or more different potions and…'

"Thank you, Miss Optimism, for that wonderful spin on the situation" snapped Ron. "Who cares if we don't know which potion it is yet – it's a bloody start!"

And with that, he reached forward, grabbed Luna by the hand and dragged her off toward the library.

------------

"Alright, here we are now.'

Ron sat on his legs, leaning on the tabletop eagerly as Luna placed a large, leather bound book on the table before him. He, Harry and Ginny all leaned in as they sat around the table. Luna settled herself down and opened the book to a certain spot near the back.

"From what I can remember,' she said, examining the pages as she turned them. 'They were up to somewhere back here."

"Did you get a look at the page?' asked Harry, leaning against Ginny seated beside him to get a better look at the book.

Luna sighed and shook her head. "Not that much, I'm afraid. I really didn't see all that much of what it was they were reading."

"Doesn't matter." Said Ginny shaking her head.

Ron frowned. "_Doesn't bloody matter_?' he hissed. 'Now we're practically back at square one!"

"No, we're not.' Insisted Ginny, grabbing the book and angling it so she could look at it properly. 'We know what the potion colour was, we know that it needed to be inhaled to take effect, and we know what the effects of taking it are. All we have to do is cross-reference all that and narrow it down."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"Luna, what else did they say? Anything helpful?" asked Ginny.

Luna sighed and thought for a moment. "Only that it would be a slow-release potion, and that they needed an extra bit of belladonna to make it work."

Harry frowned. "Belladonna?"

"Yeah, it's kind of a sedative, you know – it relaxes you' Said Ron, nodding at Luna. 'Settles your nerves, make your stress levels come down…which is what we've been seeing with Hermione for the past week."

Harry blinked and looked at him in surprise. "How'd you know that?"

Ron smiled. "Mum puts it in her 'Special tea' for certain circumstances – she told me the recipe a while back."

Ginny snorted as she flipped through the pages, quickly scanning each recipe and instruction on each page for anything that looked promising.

"Okay, let's break this down.' Said Harry. 'What are her symptoms?"

The four of them were puzzled for a moment; each of them looking to another in hopes of them having some sort of idea where to start. For, the fact was, there weren't really any definite symptoms. Hermione hadn't had anything happen to her that wasn't considered that much of a worry for a normal, teenage girl.

Ron groaned and rubbed his eyes again. "Ginny, just look up mental instability and see what happens."

"She's not _crazy_, Ron." Bristled Ginny, giving her older brother a look. "She's just…"

"Wait, hold on!" cried Luna suddenly, slapping her hand down on a page. People around them hissed at them to be quiet, but the quartet ignored them, their hope restored. Luna angled the massive, leather bound book back to her and narrowed her eyes at the page she had stopped Ginny on. "This looks familiar."

"It does?" whispered Harry, coking his head to get a look.

Luna nodded. "Yes, and look…they've dog-marked the page!"

Ginny snorted and leant forward. "Slytherins certainly aren't the smartest race of people, are they?"

Harry took the book of Luna and studied the page. He read over the ingredients, what the potion would look like and what the effects would be, his excitement growing that this could be the one.

"Well, what does it say?" urged Ron softly.

"I think this is it." Said Harry.

Ginny snatched the book out of his hands and settled it back down in front of her. "Inhibition Release.' She muttered, reading the title.

They all exchanged a worried glance, and Ginny read on out loud.

'_Sometimes used as party potions to help stressed wizards or witches relax. The effects of this potion will take time to fully make themselves known, but if taken higher quantities_…blah, blah, blah…yadda, yadda, yadda…ah, here we go. _Inhibition potion will have subtle effects most will not notice until a significant change occurs in the victim's behaviour or daily routine, for the subtlety's of such a complex mind are often the most difficult to determine…_whatever that means._ It will cause the victim to act most unlike their usual selves to others, but not inwardly will the victim see any change or reason for concern_."

Ginny looked up at the other three. "I think we found it."

"So, what,' said Harry, frowning. 'This potion makes her act different to us, but she won't se how different she's been acting?"

"Apparently, she hasn't got a clue." Said Ginny, reading on a little more to herself.

"So, she's not Hermione anymore?" asked Ron, a feeling of dread rising in his chest.

Luna shook her head. "No, that's the thing. She _is_ Hermione,' she said slowly, giving him a look. 'Just not the Hermione we ever get to see."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Come again?"

"That's what inhibition is, Ron." Said Ginny, explaining it to a confused Harry as well. 'Its basic Muggle psychology. Inhibition is the conscious or unconscious restraint of inner desires, behaviours or impulses. Hermione's got to be one of the most suppressed people we know when it comes to what she really wants. This potion takes away her need to suppress it, and all the things she feels or wants just comes out."

Harry nodded, catching on. "Its stripped her of her ability to inhibit herself…I get it now."

"So, all this stuff she's been doing, all the things she's been saying and how she's been acting…' muttered Ron. '…she's always wanted to do? All of it has really been _her_, deep down?"

Luna nodded and smiled. "Exactly, Ronald. Hermione's always had pressure upon her, and now her obligation as Head Girl has made her take on responsibilities she may not be entirely happy about…but she did it, and has always suppressed what it was she's _really_ been wanting." She said, giving him a pointed look.

Ron frowned at her in confusion. What was she getting at?

Ginny growled angrily. "I can see how taking that away from her would give Pansy her jollies, the twisted cow."

"Is there an antidote?" asked Ron.

Ginny read over the page and then nodded. "Yeah, and it looks simple enough too."

"Good,' laughed Harry. 'Because Hermione's usually the only one of us that can make a half-assed decent potion."

Ron sighed, feeling far more relieved than he was showing. Of course, he was still very worried about Hermione, but now that they knew what was wrong with her they could start to fix it. All they had to do now was find her and get her back.

He leant his elbows on the table and rubbed his face as Harry, Ginny and Luna began discussing how they were going to start the antidote. He didn't know how they could be so rational when Hermione was out there somewhere, doing Merlin knows what. Without the ability to control herself, she could be getting into serious trouble, and what upset him most was the fact that he wasn't there to protect her. It was one of the first times he hadn't been there to do so, and he felt helpless and frustrated. Protecting her and being there for her when she needed him most was one of the only things he had ever really been good at.

Dragging himself out of his train of through, Ron focused back into the conversation.

"…have to find where it is she'd gone first.' Harry was saying. 'If we do that and get her back here, we could get to potion ready and give to her and no-one will be any the wiser about it."

"If she'll take it." Said Ginny, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh, she'll take it.' said Ron, a determined glint in her eye.

Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance, but didn't comment.

"Ginny, do you know where she went?' asked Luna.

"No, she just said she was going to London and would be home in the morning. And in any other circumstance I would just leave her and wait until tomorrow, but in her current state she might suddenly decide she doesn't _want_ to come back, you know."

Ron nodded. "We have to find her."

"But _how_?' asked Harry, looking worried. 'London isn't exactly a small little country town, and knowing Hermione she could have found some place that we don't even know about to go to. We don't even know what she was going there for!"

"She wouldn't have gone somewhere she didn't know,' said Ron. 'She doesn't know London _that_ well. She'd be somewhere she's been before."

"That still leaves a lot of places to hunt.' Said Harry, looking doubtful.

"Ginny, think about when you saw her,' said Ron, taking his sisters hand as if hoping to drain some of his determination into her. 'What was she like? What was she doing? What did she take her with her?"

Ginny sighed and closed her eyes, thinking back. "Well, she wasn't really doing anything! She was just sorting through her clothes, and she didn't take anything with her but her purse."

Harry looked at Ron pointedly. "I have no idea how a girl's mind works."

"Oh, and I do?" snapped Ron quietly.

"Shut it, both of you.' Hissed Ginny, looking around to make sure they hadn't attracted anymore of the library's attention. 'Okay, let's think about this reasonably – if _I_ were Hermione, where would I go?"

"The library,' said Harry instantly. 'Even I could tell you that."

Ginny sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm trying, okay?"

"Well, don't think like Hermione,' said Ron. 'Think like yourself."

Ginny quirked an eyebrow. "Come again?"

Ron smiled. "She's not know-it-all Granger anymore; she's acting more like you…more _normal_. Think like a usual, barmy, teenage girl! Where would a normal girl go on a hot, summer's night?"

Ginny looked at Luna, figuring that brainstorming with two guys about this sort of thing would be completely useless. She thought back to what Hermione had done, going over the finer details. She'd been going through her clothes…sorting out her good shirts from her everyday where…she'd taken her purse… And her attitude, how had that changed? Well, she was more out there socially for one. She kept flirting with guys…kept dancing around and singing to herself…

And then, it clicked.

"Ha!' laughed Ginny, enthusiastically tapping Luna on the arm. 'I've _got_ it!"

"What, where?" demanded Ron, looking expectant.

"_Think_ about it, Ron!' urged Ginny, amazed at her own ingenious. 'She's a normal, eighteen year old girl! She's got no inhibition, no sense of responsibility and she's sexed up so much she's making bloody Fleur look like a nun! Where would _any_ girl like that go on a Friday night with nothing else to do?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other blankly, back at Ginny and then shrugged.

Ginny rolled her eyes and let out a frustrated grunt. "Oh honestly…Luna, _you_ know what I'm on about, don't you?"

Luna smiled and nodded. "A nightclub."

"Yes, praise Merlin, _someone's_ keeping up!"

Harry laughed and beamed at Ginny. "You know, that's so absurd it might actually be right."

But Ron was still looking confused. "Look, I'm sorry to be the ignorant twit amongst you lot, but what the sodding hell is a nightclub?"

"Like a ball, but different." Said Harry, still staring at Ginny in amazement.

Ron snorted. "Gee, that was informative.' He said giving Harry a glare. He looked at Ginny. 'How do you know about them anyway?"

"Muggle studies, duh." Giggled Ginny.

"Look, I hate to be the damper on such a brilliant brainstorm,' said Harry, sobering up. 'But, er, do you guys know just how many nightclubs there are in London?"

"No,' said Luna, looking very interested. 'How many?"

Harry smiled wryly. "A few."

Ron groaned. "Are you kidding me? We can't just go searching each one for her; we'd be out there all bloody night!"

Luna smiled at him pityingly, grabbed his hand and gave it a tap. "I know a way to find her, Ronald."

Harry, Ginny and Ron all looked at her in surprise. Why hadn't she said that before?

"You…you do?" whispered Ron, looking at Luna as if he could have kissed her.

Luna nodded. "Oh yes, but we can't do it here. Come."

-------------

"Where is she?"

"Merlin Ron, for the millionth time, I don't bloody know! Now shut up and sit down."

Ron grunted as Ginny shoved him down into the seat. She gave him a look and continued pacing in front of him; Harry was standing over by the window over his shoulder. The three of them were waiting in the Room of Requirement for Luna to return. She had left them there ten minutes ago, saying she needed to get something from her dormitory to help with finding Hermione.

"One of us should have gone with her,' said Ron, sulking into the seat. 'She's probably forgotten what it was she was doing!"

"Ron, don't be so mean!' hissed Ginny, slapping his knees as she paced past him.

"She could have been caught up with a teacher,' said Harry, staring out the window at the moonlit grounds. "I hope she doesn't take too long though – its getting late as it is."

Ron sank further into his chair, his impatience becoming increasingly difficult to deal with. What was taking her so long? He didn't know what it was she had gone to get – in fact; he didn't even know what this thing was that Luna was supposed to be doing to help find Hermione. She had just led them up there to the seventh floor without any word of explanation.

Finally having enough, Ron hit the armrest of the chair and stood up. "To Hades with his waiting, I'm going to look for Luna myself."

"Oh, but Ron…' started Ginny.

But he was up and had stormed out before she could finish.

Ginny sighed and looked at Harry. "He's really worried."

"He isn't the only one." Muttered Harry, giving her a small smile.

She smiled and moved to give him a reassuring hug, when voices from out in the hallway hit their ears. She and Harry spun around in alarm, wondering who it could be coming up this way at this time of night…

And then Luna walked into the room, dragging Ron behind him by his tie like a dog on a leash.

"...develop some _patience_, Ronald.' She was saying. She had a small box in her hands. 'I really wasn't that long, you know."

"The hell you weren't." he muttered, taking his tie back.

"Did you get what you needed?" asked Harry, rushing to Luna's side.

Luna nodded. "Half of it at least."

"What else do you need?" asked Ginny, eyeing the box Luna had brought in with her.

"Well, an atlas, or a map of London would be…'

But before Luna could finish her sentence, a small table appeared in the space between the four of them, complete with a large map of London.

Luna smiled appraisingly. "Efficient this room, isn't it?"

The four of them knelt down around the table. Luna placed the box on the table and opened it, searching through its bizarre contents for something that she obviously needed. Ron leant in a little to sneak a peek at this mysterious box Luna had, but she had quickly found what it was she had been looking for and snapped it shut again.

"Alright, here we are." She said, holding up what it was she had pulled out.

It was a small crystal on the end on a silver chain, rather like a piece of jewelry. The three of them watched in interest as Luna put the box away under the table and examined the crystal.

"So, what is this we're doing?" asked Ginny in interest.

"It's called Scrying.' Said Luna, holding the crystal up to the light. It made small rainbows dance over her face, illuminating her face. 'Its old magic, not used that much anymore."

"How do you know how to do it then?" asked Harry.

"My mother taught me when I was little,' said Luna, smiling at the memory. 'She said that just because some forms of magic are forgotten, does not mean they should be lost."

Ginny smiled. "You're mother sounded like a wonderful woman."

"That's what my father tells me.' Said Luna, examining the map. 'Now, back to this."

"How does it work?" asked Ron.

"The crystal focuses on the person you wish to find. You let it circle over the general area of a map, or something like it, and it pinpoints their location."

Harry smiled. "That's very cool."

"Indeed it is, Harry.' Said Luna. She looked up at Ron and smiled, thrusting the Crystal into his hand. 'Here you are, Ronald."

Ron blinked in surprise. "Me? What am _I_ going to do with it?"

"Find Hermione." Said Luna simply.

"But…I don't know…' he stuttered, looking for Ginny and Harry for help. He laughed and looked down at the crystal in his hand. 'How am _I_ meant to find her? I don't know how to use it."

"Well, I'm going to teach you." Said Luna.

"But why me?"

"Because you have the strongest connection to Hermione, do you not?" asked Luna.

Ron spluttered, surprised. "I…I, er…"

"Come on now; hold it up like this…'

Ron let Luna take his hand and lift it up. He held the end of the chain in-between his thumb and forefinger and let the crystal hover over the map. Instinctively, he moved his wrist a little to the crystal began to swing around in a circular pattern.

"No, no…_anti_-clockwise motion." Said Luna, grabbing his hand to correct him. 'Now, focus on what it is you want to find. Imagine seeing her; find her in your minds-eye. Command the crystal to find her, to point you."

Silence followed as Ron did as he was told, imagining seeing Hermione. Harry and Ginny were watching him with baited breath, and Luna was also watching him very intently. The crystal went around, but Ron felt no pull to any point on the map. What did that mean? Was she no longer in London? Had she gone out of the country? With her apparating skills, she could have gone anywhere in the world if she had wanted.

He let out a grunt off annoyance and let his arm drop. "This is stupid! It's not working!"

"It's not working because your mind is not focused!' snapped Luna, using the first stern tones they had ever heard. 'You thoughts are anywhere but on what you're meant to be doing. 'What's she doing?', 'Is she alright?', 'Who's she with?', 'What if I can't kind her?" She frowned at him, paused and then smacked him across the back of the head.

"_OW_!" he cried, blown away by her sudden change. "What the bloody hell…"

"_Concentrate_, Ronald, for Merlin's sake." She cried, tapping the side of his head. "You're not a mindless buffoon, you're a powerful wizard. You have the ability to do this!"

Ron stared at her for a long moment. He pursed his lips, sighed and raised his hand to try again. He swung the crystal in the anti-clockwise direction Luna had shown him and focused on Hermione again, trying desperately to clear his mind of all worry. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to relax. He focused all this energy into the crystal, demanding it find her…commanding it find her…insisting it just _find her_…

He felt a tug at the end of the chain, and Ron's flew open just in time to see the crystal throw itself down onto a point on the map.

"Ha! Ron, you did it!" laughed Ginny, throwing her arms around Ron's neck in a hug.

Ron smiled and saw Luna beaming at him.

Harry leant in to see where the crystal had landed and smiled. "I know this place."

"Oh, you do, do you?" asked Ginny, raising an eyebrow.

"I haven't _been_ there, but I know of it. Look, see? It's not to far from the Leaky Cauldron. I bet you anything Hermione apparated there and just walked over!"

"Well, come on then!" cried Ginny, getting to her feet. "We've got to go get her before she decides she wants to go someplace else."

Harry and Ron didn't need telling twice. They hastily thanked Luna, leapt up and rushed out into the hall, but Ron stopped just as he crossed the threshold to the room.

"Er, you guys go ahead. I'll meet you at the front gate." He said.

Harry and Ginny nodded and ran off toward Gryffindor Tower to get ready.

Ron turned around and walked back into the room. Luna was packing up her crystal and the map. "Listen, er…I don't know how to thank you for this." He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Luna smiled and straightened up, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "You don't need to thank me at all, Ronald. It was more than a pleasure for a friend."

He smiled and went to leave, when he stopped again. "Luna…why did you ask _me_ to do it?"

"Because, while friendship is a very strong connection… true love is even stronger." She said. She patted him on the arm and smiled. "Go to her, and don't let your inhibitions get in the way of telling her just how much you care."

Ron laughed. For some strange reason, it didn't seem at all peculiar that she knew about his feelings for Hermione, nor did it feel peculiar that she had confronted him about it. Of all the people who could have said something like that, Luna was the one he didn't mind hearing it from.

"But, what about you?"

"I'll gather the ingredients for the potion for when you get back."

Ron smiled down at her and, without even second guessing himself, bent down and kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks Luna."

And with that, he pelted off down the corridor.

* * *

A/N – Long, eh? I hope you understand why this took forever to get back to you! Yes, I know I got the whole scrying thing from Charmed, but hey, magic is as magic does! Like it? Hate it? Let me know!

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8! This will be another long, probably boring one, but you have to stick with me!

* * *

This first thing Ron noticed when he apparated out the back of The Leaky Cauldron, was how much warmer the air seemed in the city.

Ron shook off the compressed sensation of apparition and stood aside, awaiting Harry and Ginny's arrival. Seen as Ginny was not old enough to apparate without someone else, Harry had very conveniently offered to take her hand and apparate with her. Although he really didn't know what was taking them so long. He hoped they wouldn't be too much longer…Hermione could have moved on by now…

CRACK.

"Ow, bloody hell, Ginny!"

"Oh, Harry, I'm sorry!"

Ron whirled around just in time to see Harry massaging his left toe with the heel of his right foot. He was leaning against Ginny for support, who was looking at him in horror for having apparently landed on him when they appeared.

Harry smiled at her. "No, its okay – I've got nine more."

"It's about bloody time!' snapped Ron, tapping his watch impatiently. 'What took you two so long?"

Ginny snorted. "Well, you know how men are…always too proud to ask directions."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Its bad enough to you took fifteen minutes just to get changed into _that_! Which I still don't approve of, by the way.' He added, waving a hand at his sister.

Before the three of them had apparated away from Hogwarts, they had decided that they should try and look as inconspicuous as possible and not attract any unwanted attention. But, while the boys had simply changed their school slacks for a pair of jeans and left their school shirts on without a tie, Ginny had taken up a good fifteen minutes to transfigure her school skirt and shirt into a denim skirt and shirt a good three sizes too small.

Ginny rolled her eyes at her big brother. 'You say that like I care about your predictable disapproval. This is what muggle girls wear to nightclubs! Besides, Harry doesn't mind…do you, Harry?"

Harry blushed. "Er…' he looked at the two Weasley's, both of them expecting to take their side. He laughed and ruffled his hair. 'Is there a right answer to this question?"

"Oh sod it, let's just find Hermione.' Said Ron, walking past them and into the pub.

Ron squinted as he entered the dim light of the pub. It was full to the brim with wizards and witches of all sizes and ages, all coming to the pub to wind down from a long week or work over a pint of Mead or Butterbeer. The low rumble of many voices and the scraping of chairs filled the air with a drone that was surprisingly loud.

'Let's just get through here quickly, alright?" muttered Ginny, coming to his side and looking around with caution.

Ron frowned. "Why? Worried you'll see an ex-boyfriend or something?' he teased.

Ginny slapped him. 'No, but I _am_ worried that half of bloody London will see a certain savior of the world and want to shake his hand off.' She whispered, looking at him pointedly.

Ron's eyes widened in realization and he cast a quick glance over his shoulder to see Harry coming in the back door, shutting it slowly behind him so as not to make too much noise. Ginny was right; if anyone in this pub spotted Harry they would not only make a huge fuss and insist on buying him a drink, thus holding them up, but they could also let it slip back to the school that the three of them had left the castle without any permission what-so-ever. This was a complication he had not even considered and it now seemed quite foolish that he hadn't.

Looking down at Ginny, he nodded. "Right, duck and run then?"

"Seems that way."

"There's a lot of people though…I don't know if we can get him through without anyone picking him up." Whispered Ron, leaning in very close to Ginny so he could mutter in her ear.

"Maybe if we close up formation around him,' suggested Ginny softly, considering the crowded pub. 'We can hide him form view. You're big enough to conceal most of him – oh, no offence."

"None taken. But still, it only takes one sloshed, loud mouth idiot to spot him and then we'd be done for."

"Well, its better than not hiding him at all, Ron…"

The two of them jumped as out of no-where, Harry stuck his face in their conversation, a big goofy smile on his face. "What are we whispering about?" he laughed, wriggling his eyebrows.

Ron snorted and stood up straight once more, but noticed that Ginny took a moment longer to pull her face away from Harry's. "We've run into a problem."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"Getting you through this pub without anyone clapping their eyes on the beautiful cosmetic blemish you have right there.' Said Ginny, poking his scar.

Harry sobered up and rubbed his forehead; an occurrence equal to Ron's crossing over his face. "Oh, hell…hadn't considered that."

After a long moments thoughtful pause, Ron's face broke out into a grin. He clapped Harry on the shoulder. 'Not to worry, because luckily…'

"Oh no, don't say it." Groaned Ginny, wincing at the inevitable.

"…I have a plan.' Finished Ron, ignoring his sister.

Harry ruffled his hair. "Er, is it a well thought out plan? Because I've seen your spells when they've been driven by nothing but impulse, and quite frankly I don't fancy having my hair singed off at this point in my adolescence."

"No, its nothing like that." Said Ron, pulling his wand out.

"Well what is it…"

But Harry didn't get to finish, as Ron had rapped him over the head with his wand, followed moments later by the familiar cold trickle down the back of his neck.

"_Disillusion him_?" whispered Ginny, looking around again to make sure none of the people nearby had noticed the three teens.

Harry looked himself over, still finding the effects of becoming a human chameleon rather unnerving. "I didn't even know you knew how to do this." He chuckled, looking up at Ron.

Ron shrugged, his ears going red.

"Come on, lets just get going." Said Ginny.

The three of them stepped out of the back exit hallway into the main area of the pub. It was a slow job for them to make their way through the mass of people, for they had to keep stopping to make sure Harry, even in his slightly invisible state, didn't attract any attention. He would have to dodge random people flinging their arms out, or pushing their chairs out, or throwing their heads back to laugh. Ron was extremely tense as he led the way toward the exit that led out onto the main street, and resisted taking Ginny's hand behind him as the three of them walked in single file. He kept his head down and bobbed a little, trying not to let his red hair catch the eye of any of his father's colleagues that may have been in the pub.

Finally, they had made it up to the entrance and out into the streets of London. Harry came last, letting the door shut firmly behind him.

"Well, that was easy enough." He chuckled somewhere to Ron's left.

"Speak for yourself.' Snapped Ginny, primping her clothes again. 'I swear, the amount of dirty old wizards that were checking me out as I passed them…"

"Well, I did try and tell you…"

"Oh, belt up will you Ron…for the sake of the human race…there's a good chap…"

Harry tugged on Ron and Ginny's arm and pulled them off down the street, their main objective coming back into sharp view once more. They walked a small distance, crossing the road and blending in well with the many other muggle youth roaming the street on such a warm night until before lone, Ron could hear a low thump of very loud music.

"We're getting close." came Harry's voice in front of them, still pulling them along. 'This street connects with the one the nightclub is on. Just a bit further."

"Harry, can we change you back now?' asked Ginny, looking around for any recognizable sign of him. 'It's weird not being able to see you.'

"No, not yet."

"Right, cause that would hold us up even more.' Muttered Ron. He was feeling that old surge of impatience and wanted to run on ahead, as walking was taking far too long in his opinion. But he did not know the way, and was therefore forced to relent control to Harry for the time being.

They walked a little further, turned another corner and were met by an interesting sight. There was a flood of people, all lining up along the wall of a building that was practically vibrating with the loud music coming from within it. Ron could feel the thump of the bass traveling from the nightclub across the road, up his legs and to his stomach. It looked to be a rather popular spot, as many of the young adults they had seen were making their way over excitedly and adding onto the very long queue.

Ron turned to Ginny to ask her something, but found himself concerned by the excited gleam in her eyes. She was looking at the club as if it were the crown jewels, a hungry look in her face so extreme she could have been slobbering right there in the middle of the sidewalk.

"This is the place?" she asked.

"Sure is,' came Harry's voice to Ron's right. 'Well, according to Ron's superb human compass skills it is anyway."

Ron nodded. "Right, come on then."

He started forward, when something invisible stopped in front of him and stopped him.

"No, just wait.' Said Harry.

"Wait for what? A written bloody invitation?" snapped Ron, grabbing what he hoped was Harry's wrists and taking them away from his shoulders. "We go in…now!"

"You can't, Ron, dammit; _listen _to me for a second!"

It must have looked a little strange to anyone who had just looked over, to see a teenage boy with red hair struggling to get around a patch of thin air and yell angrily at himself. Ginny didn't even bother to try and talk to Ron, for she didn't see the need to wait any longer than they had to either.

"You can't just walk into that place.' Panted Harry.

Ron sighed irritably and stopped his struggling. "Why the sodding hell not?"

"Because one, you need money to pay admission, and two, you don't have any ID to prove your age." Said Harry calmly.

Ron exchanged a confused look with his sister. "ID?"

"Identification' explained Harry. 'You need to be able to show that you're old enough; otherwise they won't let you in at all. You have to be eighteen or over to get into this place."

"Well, you're not eighteen!' said Ron, poking a translucent Harry in the chest. 'What was _your_ plan for getting in?"

There was a short, uncomfortable silence from Harry. "Well, I wasn't actually."

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Come again?"

"Look, we were in a hurry alright? My plans aren't rock solid, and…"

"Just spit it out!" cried Ron.

Harry sighed. "Alright, I was thinking that seen as Ron was the eldest, he'd be more likely to fit in. So he could sneak in and fetch Hermione, while…while Ginny and I waited out here."

Harry was almost deafened by the outcry from both Weasley children, both of them arguing forcefully with Harry's idea at the same time.

"Why can't you two come in…"

"Why does _he_ get to go in and have fun…"

"…not going in that place all by myself!"

"…stuck out here like some little girl."

"_Alright_!" shouted Harry, clapping invisible hands over their mouths. "Okay, I get it…bad idea."

Ginny swatted his hand away and calmed down. "We'll all go in. We're here to get Hermione together.'

Ron nodded. "Come here Ginny, I'll disillusion you too."

Once he had done this, and she had disillusioned him in return, the three of them took each other's sleeves so they didn't get separated and crossed the empty road over to the club. Ron could see now up this close that Harry had been on the right track when he said there was no way they would not have gotten in. The doorman was huge, and was checking over each person with a weary eye. Each person would hand him a little plastic card Ron assumed at to be that ID thing, and then after a few moments the big bloke would let them pass.

Harry's voice brought his attention back. 'Look over there.'

'Where?' asked Ron, looking around.

"There!"

"Where?" pressed Ginny to Ron's left.

"_There_! Where I'm bloody pointing!"

"Oh, that's good…seen as we _can't bloody see your finger_!" hissed Ron, tugging on Harry's sleeve.

"Oh, right.' Muttered Harry. Ron could just imagine the blush on his cheeks. 'Okay, over in that alleyway just in front of us. You see it?"

Ron looked around down the alley Harry had described and saw a back door illuminated by a small, overhead florescent light. The three of them edged closer, trying not to make too much noise to get a better look.

"Employees only.' Read Ginny. 'Sounds good enough to me."

Ron let go of Harry's shirt for a moment, just long enough to grasp the door handle and give it a turn…but it stopped half way.

"Locked." Said Ron.

"Eh, no problem." Said Harry.

Ron could only guess what happened next, for there was a rustling noise, then Harry's voice spoke '_Alohomora_' and the door clicked and swung open. Ron winced at the explosion of sound that escaped the moment the door opened. How could muggles listen to such loud music and not go deaf?

The entered quickly and shut the door behind them, taking a moment to return themselves back to normal and shake off the cold shiver once more. Ron sighed and looked around. They seemed to be in some sort of supply room, for there was crate upon crate of muggle alcohol. The lights were dim and the vibrations through the floor were making his feet tingle.

"Come on,' he said. 'Let's just find her and get back."

Ron checked to make sure no-one was on the other side of the door, before the three of them slipped out. They walked a few steps down a hallway, turned a corner…

"Holy mother of Merlin!" squealed Ginny.

Ron stood rooted to the spot as he looked around his first ever nightclub. The music was very loud now and the lights were all coloured, swiveling in different directions. The main floor was packed with people, as were the outer edges and the bar to their left. The dance floor was sunk into the floor a little and seemed very small with all the bodies occupying it. The temperature of the room was very warm and the atmosphere within the walls had a strange energy to it.

This was much different from the Yule Ball back in their fourth year!

Ron looked at Harry and saw his best friend with an expression of curiosity, but otherwise indifference. But Ginny was looking around with an increasingly large grin, her shoulders moving along with the low beat almost as if by their own violation.

Shaking his head hopelessly at her, he looked back out into the crowd. Squinting, he tried to find a familiar flash of bushy brown hair, but there were just far too many girls with brown, puffy hair for him to be able to distinguish the one he wanted – especially in such dim light.

"Maybe we should split up!' he shouted over the music to Harry beside him. 'We'll cover more ground that way!"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, we'll never find her just standing here!"

Ron grabbed Ginny by the arm and shook her back into focus. "You and Harry take the bar and outer rims, I'll go into the dance floor!"

Ginny and Harry nodded. "Okay, just try not to get lost!" shouted Ginny, giving him a suggestive wink.

Ron blew air out through his lips and looked back out onto the floor. There were just so many people! And they were standing so close together, and they were all dancing in a way he'd never really seen done in such a public place.

"You going to be right?" said Harry loudly.

"Oh, yeah." Smiled Ron weakly.

Harry must have sensed his nerves, because he pulled him closer so he could say, "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just remember one very important thing."

"Oh, yeah, what's that?"

Harry clapped him on the shoulder. "There is no spoon!"

And with one final reassuring smile, he let Ginny grab his hand and drag him off toward the bar.

Ron arched an eyebrow, wondering what the bloody hell silverware had to do with finding Hermione, before shrugging it off and descending the three small steps onto the floor.

As daunting as it was being amongst so many dancing couples, his main reason for being there was still in sharp focus at the front of his mind, causing his slight discomfort to abate for the time being. He slowly weaved his way through the gaps in the crowd, trying very hard not to touch anyone in an inappropriate place. Many of the girls he passed were dressed along the same lines as Ginny, and it was making him blush more than once with the amount of skin he was seeing of complete strangers.

Slowly, he pushed past a particularly exhibitionistic couple who seemed glued together at the front, stumbled a little on his shoe and found himself horrifically enough in the middle of a small group of very attractive girls.

"Oh, sorry!" he yelled over the music, giving them all apologetic smile.

But they didn't seem upset at all. In fact, most of them were looking at him in with that expression he recognized from when he and Lavender were dating. It was the expression he saw just before she pounced on him.

"No, that's alright!' one particularly pretty blonde girl laughed, straightening him up. 'You hear with anyone?"

"Oh, er…after a fashion." He responded, looking around again for Hermione. 'Sorry, I gotta go."

"Oh, you sure?"

"Yeah, sorry again."

He squeezed himself out of their closely formed circle and resumed his search. He took a quick look over his shoulder back at the group of girls and was very surprised to see them watching him leave, talking and giggling amongst themselves. Looking away, he felt his ears go red.

_Well, this is certainly a new experience_. He thought to himself as he scanned the heads. He'd never known so many girls to look at him in that way; as if they thought of him as very attractive. It was a little bizarre; he wasn't wearing anything spectacular, just his school shirt and jeans.

_Probably sloshed,_ he concluded.

Ron slid in between a few more groups and felt as if he'd been walking around in circles for ages. He wondered more than once if perhaps Ginny and Harry had already caught up with her…

But then he spotted her.

It was no wonder he hadn't spotted her before…she was standing in the middle of about three guys, all of them trying to dance with her at the same time. She wasn't wearing her school uniform, but was wearing a tight pair of jeans and a revealing black, sleeveless top. Her hair was down and a little straighter than usual and she looked very attractive.

But all this wasn't what made his stomach clench – it was the way she was dancing! This wasn't anything like that leisurely waltzing she had done at the Yule Ball; this was completely different. She was swinging and rolling her hips provocatively, lifting her arms up and pushing her chest out. She didn't seem to mind at all that there were three guys around her; on the contrary, she seemed to be reveling in the attention. She had her back pressed against some bloke's chest, his hands on her hips and her hands covering his as she swung in time with the beat.

His initial feeling of relief was now being hastily shoved aside by a boiling irritation and jealousy. Drawing himself up to his full height, he barged right over.

"Hermione!" he cried over the noise.

She looked around and her eyes widened in excitement as she spotted him. "_Ron_! Hey!"

Ron frowned at the guys surrounding her. "Go on, push off then!"

They gave Ron a glare, before very reluctantly moving off and away.

"Ron, I can't believe you're actually here!' called Hermione, grabbing his arms and giving them a shake in hello. 'I didn't think this would be your…"

"Who the bloody hell were _they_?" he demanded, waving a hand at the direction they guys had just gone in.

Hermione looked around and smiled. "Oh, er…no idea. Listen, I'm really glad you're here because…"

"You were letting some complete strangers dance with you like that?" he bellowed over the music, totally forgetting that she was under the influence of a potion.

"We were just _dancing_, Ron!"

Ron grimaced a little as he smelt something on her breath. "Hermione…have you been drinking?"

"What? No!"

"You have! I can smell it!"

Hermione smiled. "Well, I may have had one – or two."

"_Hermione_!"

"I only had two, I promise! God, don't get your knickers in a twist!"

Normally, this would have been the green light for another row to begin between the two of them, but Ron stopped himself just in time. He forced himself to remember that this was not her normal state of mind, and that loosing his block with her would accomplish nothing. Not to mention it was difficult to yell at her when the music was so loud…without the effect of his voice to go with his frown he looked more constipated than angry.

"How did you know where to find me anyway?" she asked, still moving a little to the beat.

Ron flushed as she pulled him closer. "Er…Ginny said you were coming to London and we just…er…"

"We?' she asked, looking around. 'Did Ginny come with you as well?"

"Yeah, and Harry."

"Harry as well?' she laughed. She took his hands in hers, linking their fingers and continued to dance. 'Don't tell me Neville came too?"

"What? No, Neville didn't…"

The words died in his mouth as he finally realized what it was Hermione was doing. She'd spun herself around and pressed up against him like she had done with that guy a few minutes ago. Stunned, he felt paralyzed as she put his hands on her hips and looked at him over her shoulder.

"Well, seen as you're here, do you want to dance for a while?"

"_Dance_?" he cried, feeling his blood boil; but not with anger.

He'd never held her like this before, with her moving against him like this. Touching her hips like this was something he'd only ever experienced in his very private dreams, and he had not even considered the possibility that it would someday be a reality.

"Yes, dance!' she giggled, turning back around to face him. 'You know that moving thing a few people around us are doing at the present time?"

Ron's breath hitched as she slid her arms around his waist and continued dancing with him, despite the fact he was standing stock still. With her hips rolling against his, it was becoming increasingly difficult to concentrate on what it was he was meant to be doing. Sweet mother of Merlin, when had these magnificent hips developed anyway?

"No, er…Hermione…' he grabbed her hands and made her look at him. 'Hermione, we have to go.'

She blinked, confused. "Go? Go where?"

"Back to Hogwarts!"

Hermione laughed. "Go back already? Oh Ron, what in heaven's name for? Its not even eleven thirty!" she called, checking her watch.

"We have to get back before anyone notices we're missing!" he shouted. How was he meant to convince her will all this blasted music?

"Well, send Harry and Ginny back or something so they can cover for us.' She said, waving a hand dismissively. She slid her hands slowly up his chest, across his shoulders and linked them behind his neck. 'I'm having far too much fun to leave just yet."

"But, Hermione…'

"Just a little longer,' she pleaded, leaning up toward him. She brought his face down a little and pressed her lips against his ear, letting them hover there. 'Just a while longer and I'll go with you, I promise. Please, Ron?"

Ron shivered and looked down into her face. She was actually wearing a small amount of make-up, and there was glitter dabbed on the outside of her eyes. The exposed part of her collar and cleavage was glistening with perspiration and she was wearing a perfume that was driving him insane. He knew he had to get her back, and that had it not been for this potion she wouldn't be acting like this in the first place…but he was rather beginning to get used to her hips rolling up against his like this.

He bit his lip and looked around. "Hermione, I don't…"

"Please, Ron? _Please_?"

Ron considered her for a long moment, before he sighed. "Okay, fine. But just a little while!"

Surely letting her have a few more minutes wouldn't hurt?

Hermione smirked triumphantly and kissed him on the cheek. Figuring that would be his cue to let her have some time, he went to move away, find Harry and Ginny and let them know that he had found her, but she grabbed his arms and pulled him back to her again.

"Oh no, you don't! Dance with me!" she called over the music.

Ron laughed nervously. "Oh, er, I don't know! I'm not that good, you know."

"Oh, codswallop!" she smiled, wrapping his arms round her waist again. She pressed herself right up against him and smirked. "Show me what I missed out on three years ago!"

In reality, Ron really wasn't that much of a dunce when it came to dancing. In fact, he was rather good. The opportunity had just never come up for him to show just how well he could move. The Yule Bull had been a complete bust, for he had spent the entire time brooding how he could dance with Hermione and _Vicky_ could.

He looked down at her and sighed. _Well_, he thought. _When in Rome…_

-----------

"What can I get you?"

Ginny bit her lip and considered the very good looking bar attendant across the bar. "Oh, er…' she stuttered. She didn't know what muggles drank.

"She'll have a Baileys.' Said Harry over the music, swinging around on his stool. He smiled at Ginny and added to the Barman. 'Make it two."

"What's Baileys?" she asked.

Harry laughed and turned back around to face the dance floor. "You'll like it; don't worry! Just don't be telling your mother I bought you a muggle alcoholic drink!"

Ginny smiled. "I think dad would be more interested than mum!"

They took their drinks and sipped it gingerly. Ginny smiled at the taste, finding Harry's choice in muggle beverages to be very precise to her needs. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and smirked. He looked very relaxed in this new atmosphere, as if he's been coming to nightclubs every Friday night for the majority of his adolescence. Ginny was quite enjoying herself as well, and very desperately wanted to do something other than sit at the bar and search for Hermione.

"I hope she's not in any sort of immoral situation." Said Harry suddenly beside her.

Ginny snorted. "I'm sure she's fine."

"What if we can't find her though?" he asked, looking at her, concern evident on his face.

She sighed. "Harry, we'll find her. Even if that means we have to sit at this bar all night, drinking shots and dancing the night away to very loud, very catchy music.' She clapped him on the arm and nodded in mock seriousness. 'It's a tough mission, Harry, but we must press on."

Harry snorted. "You're having way too much fun, aren't you?"

"Aren't you?' she laughed. She looked out into the club and nodded. 'I can definitely see how this place would appeal to Hermione."

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, sipping on their drinks and checking out every person who walked past to see if it was their renegade best friend. Ginny thought she caught Harry looking at her out of the corner of his eye more than once, but she didn't comment. It wasn't like she minded or anything, quite the opposite in fact…

"That sly dog!" came Harry's voice.

Ginny looked over at him to see him laughing and looking at something out on the floor. "What is it?"

He pointed. "He found Hermione!"

She looked out to where he was pointing and laughed. Hermione had her arms around Ron's neck and was dancing up again him, but Ron looked very torn in two different directions. His hands were clenching at either side of her hips, as if he were itching to take them in his hands, and he seemed to be half dancing, half standing, as if he knew he really shouldn't be encouraging her but so badly wanted to dance with her after all these years.

"Poor bastard,' she giggled.

"He's got more willpower than I do." Said Harry.

They exchanged a quick glance, and Ginny felt her heart swell once more with the simple look he was giving her.

She smiled, getting an idea. 'You want to dance?"

Predictably, he spluttered. "D-dance?"

"Yeah, why not? Why should Ron and Hermione get to have all the fun and twist the night away?"

Harry smiled nervously and put his drink back on the bar. "Oh, Ginny, I don't know…"

"Ah, shut up loser." She laughed.

And without giving him a moment to argue, she grabbed his hand, dragged him off his stool and off toward the dance floor.

----------

Ron couldn't take it anymore…he had to touch her. Trying to do the decent, gentlemanly thing of not taking advantage of a girl under the influence was like flying against a hurricane.

But, then again, she hadn't exactly been making it easy on him.

Hermione smirked as he ran his hands across her hips, over the small of her back and along her sides. She knew he wanted her, and this knowledge filled her with an unprecedented surge of exhilaration, making her a little tipsy. She'd always wondered what it would be like to dance with him, and her ideas had not at all measured up to his reality.

Ron couldn't believe how quickly he had surrendered control. He usually prided himself on his pig-headedness and quite indestructible pride and stubbornness, but he had never been in his situation before. The music was very infectious and made him want to move in slow, even movements with her. The low beat thumped right through him, making his feel surprisingly energized and keen. His hands seemed to have a mind of his own as they smoothed over her hips and her back, pulling her closer as they swayed together.

He'd wanted to touch her for so long. He never did back at school, knowing that if he did he would soon loose control of his hand. He didn't know if Hermione would encourage such forward behaviors or slap him in the face for them. But it was a relief to his agony to be able to do this with her now.

Hermione looked away from him and laughed as something to her right caught her eye. "Hey, look at that!"

He looked around where she was indicating and smiled. Ginny and Harry were now also dancing. Well, Ginny was at least. Harry looked like a deer caught in headlights as she attempted to make his rigid limbs move.

"Think that means they're getting closer?" he asked her.

Hermione smirked again with that cocky, sexy smirk and pulled his face down to hers again. "They're not the only ones."

There was a long, excruciating moment where the two of them just looked at each other, their mouths millimeters short of being pressed up against each other like the rest of their bodies. He wanted to kiss her, and she wanted to kiss him, but something told them not to stop moving. The song had changed from the up-beat tempo to a slower, more sensual beat. Ron and Hermione hadn't even noticed that they were still dancing. It was if they were no longer in control, and their sub-conscious wants had taken over.

Ron let Hermione turn around again and press her back up against his chest. She hooked a hand up around his neck and his splayed a hand over her stomach, burying his face in her bushy hair. There was something very intimate about all this. She'd been flirting with him all week, and he'd secretly been enjoying it. And while it had all simply seemed like fun and games, this was something more real. There was nothing else around them. No crowd, no club…it was just them and slow, steady music bringing them together.

Hermione tilted her head back and closed her eyes. She felt so free, so disengaged, so liberated from everything and she didn't care how or why it was happening. She was in Ron's arms, and they were dancing so close, and it was all she'd ever really truly wanted. And even though she wanted to much more intimacy, so much more skin to tough and to feel and to taste, she settled for this for now.

The song changed, and there was a nearby scream from a group of girls who obviously had been waiting for this particular song to be played.

But it had been enough to jolt Ron back into reality.

He jumped, blinked and pulled back from Hermione. What was he doing? He wasn't meant to be dancing the night away with her! He was meant to be taking her back! How could he be taking advantage of her like this? Just because she was looking so incredibly good, and she danced so well, and she felt amazing when he ran his hands all over her…

"What's the matter?" asked Hermione, turning around to face him with a confused frown. "Why'd you pull away?"

Ron bit his lip and looked around and Ginny and Harry. They'd stopped dancing as well and were looking at him, awaiting his next move. He looked back at Hermione and sighed, feeling his ears go red again.

"We can't…I mean, its not…"

"Is this about our argument this afternoon?" she asked, moving aside to let the people around them continue to dance.

"What? No, it's nothing to do with that!"

"Well what is it then?"

He considered her for a moment, before grabbing her hand. "We have to go. Now."

"What? But, Ron…"

But he didn't hear the rest, as he gripped her hand tightly and dragged her off the dance floor and back toward the room they had entered from. She struggled profusely, tugging and screaming at him to let her go, but he wouldn't have it. He knew she'd most likely be furious with him, but he didn't care. She'd understand when it was all over…

Once they were outside in the alleyway, he finally let her go.

But instantly wished he hadn't, for she then proceeded to hit him angrily.

"What the sodding hell is your _problem_, Ron? I don't need to be dragged out of a club like some toddler! How _dare_ you embarrass me in front of all those people…"

She was screaming at him, but he just let her blow her top at him, waiting it out until she finally ran out of steam. It was much quieter now outside and a lot cooler, and her shrill voice was echoing off the brick walls of the alley.

"…can't just show up and think you can tell me what to do!" she yelled, poking him in the chest.

She went to whack him again, but he caught her wrist in mid air. "Just put a lid on it, will you?' he snapped angrily. 'You're embarrassing yourself more by throwing this stupid tantrum than I did by pulling you out here!"

"I don't see why you couldn't have just let me stay in there!' she said, frowning. 'I told Ginny I'd be home in the morning!"

"Would you?' he yelled, closing the distance between them. She stepped back a little, but otherwise held her ground. 'Would you really have come back to Hogwarts? Or would you have decided to take a little trip, seen as you were already out and all?"

Hermione glared at him. "Is that why you came here? To drag me back to the castle?"

"No-one's dragging you anywhere unless they bloody have to!"

"Well, it looks like you'll have to then, doesn't it?' she said, giving him a look. 'Because maybe I will go on a little trip. I can apparate anywhere in the bloody world I want, and I might just do it too!"

Ron pursed his lips. "Hermione, please, you don't know what you're saying."

"Are you calling me delusional?"

"Yeah, I am!"

"If you think I'm going anywhere with you simply because you demand it, then I'm afraid you're very…'

"_Stupefy_!"

Ron caught her just before she fell hard to the ground. He lowered her down slowly with a regretful sigh and pocketed his wand, just a split second before the side door burst open and Harry and Ginny ran out into the alley.

The two of them gaped at him for a long moment as Ron fixed Hermione up so her unconscious form would not be uncomfortable.

"Ron, you didn't…have you…' stuttered Ginny, her eyes wide in complete amazement. 'Did you _stun_ her?"

"It's the only way we were going to get her back.' Reasoned Ron, picking Hermione up and cradling her in his arms. She wasn't too heavy for him to hold. 'She was ready to disapparate off to China or Czechoslovakia or some other place halfway across the bloody globe."

Harry sighed and looked at the unconscious girl in his best friends arms. "She's going to be right ticked off when she wakes up."

Ron sighed. "Let's worry about her wrath later. Now, I just want to get her back up to the school and get the potion Luna's making before anyone notices we're gone and we all get our arses expelled. Ginny, you'll have to apparate with Harry again."

Ginny nodded and gripped Harry's arm. "We'll meet you at the front gate then.'

Ron nodded, and with one final look at the nightclub behind them, the four of them disapparated with a 'pop'.

* * *

A/N – Long again! I know this one took forever to get to you, but I had a somewhat difficult time getting time to sit down and actually write the damn thing! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. I have no idea what the legal age for drinking is in the UK, so I simply used our age over here. Hope you don't mind.

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9! Are you guys bored yet? You must not be if you're reading this far!

* * *

"_Ennervate_."

Hermione groaned as she quickly slipped back into consciousness. Her head throbbed a little and there was an ache in her neck, but otherwise she seemed perfectly fine. She lifted her head slowly and blinked, squinting against the bright lights.

Where was she?

Looking around, the room immediately reminded her of the basement of the Burrow, but with a few differences. It was like the walls were made out of wood panels, there were only a few small windows showing the silvery glow of the moon outside and there was a fireplace crackling away happily to her right. She scrunched up her shoulders and looked around a little more, focusing on the foreground…

And it was then she noticed Ron sitting in front of her in a large, red armchair.

Hermione blinked at him in surprise. He was just sitting there, still as a statue, watching her expectantly. She frowned, memories of what had happened between them just a short while ago coming back to her. He had stunned her! He'd actually taken out his wand, pointed it at her back and stunned her into unconsciousness and brought her back to…wherever the hell it was they were.

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. "How dare you." She snarled.

Ron arched an amber eyebrow, not at all surprised by her hostility toward him. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really, you arrogant prat!' she snapped. She went to launch herself out of the seat she was sitting in and throttle that placid expression on his face…when she found quite suddenly that she couldn't move. She looked down and saw that she was, unbelievably, bound to the chair with ropes. She wriggled a little more, but her hands didn't come free. She was bound tightly, but not uncomfortably so.

She looked up at Ron again and saw that he now had a slightly regretful expression over his features.

"What the bloody hell is this about?" she asked coolly.

"I don't want you running off again.' He said simply.

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "So you tied me to a chair?"

Ron blushed and shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It was Harry's idea, I just followed through."

"And where is it you think I'll be going?"

"Gee, I don't know,' he snapped angrily. 'I recall you saying something about how you could go anywhere in the world if you wanted to. And somehow, I think traveling too and back from some Merlin-forsaken place like Madagascar or some other country I can't bloody pronounce might make you too tired to come to class."

Hermione threw him a dirty look. "So what if I _did _want to go?' she asked, sitting back in her seat. 'Why would it be so bad?"

It took a good few seconds for Ron to compose himself, and remind himself that this was not the way she would normally have spoken. He looked at her and she looked right back; and there was definite tension in the air.

"Hermione, can you ever heard what you're saying?" he asked.

She simply glared at him angrily for a few more moments, before giving him one final sneer and looking away.

Ron kept silent and let her fume. He leant back in his chair and studied her. Her hair was frizzing up again from the straight length it had been styled to and was hanging limp around her face. Her make-up was a little smudged and she was still dressed in her jeans and halter top. She was slouching a little, resting heavily against the ropes that bound her to the seat, as if defeated. At this thought, Ron fingered her wand in his pocket, just to make sure it was still out of reach for her to curse him with.

As he watched her, he couldn't help but wonder for what seemed the millionth time that night if her being so repressed and constrained was somehow partially his fault. Should he, as her best friend, not have noticed something amiss all this time? After so many years, he had taken her uptight nature to be just a form of her personality.

And here he was, thinking he knew her so well.

Ron cocked his head to the side a little and examined her. Had this really been her all this time? Had this outgoing, vivacious young woman before him now really been laying only a small way under the surface for all these years? He felt stupid for not catching it, and even more terrible for dismissing it. Now that he thought about it, there _had_ been times when she'd let go. Standing up for them in to McGonagall first year, smacking Malfoy in third year, the Yule Ball in fourth year…if only he hadn't been such a prat about it back then.

After a long silence filled only by that of the crackling fire, Hermione heaved a very loud sigh and looked around at him.

"Where are we?' she asked.

"The Room of Requirement."

"It looks like your basement."

Ron smiled. "Ginny summoned it."

"Ginny must find your basement to be an appropriate place to hold unsuspecting witches hostage.' Said Hermione, shifting a little against the ropes.

Ron snorted. "Another weird fetish of hers, I'm sure."

Hermione looked around at him, her eyes still flashing with a quickly diminishing irritation. "Where is she then?"

"With Harry.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh _is_ she now?"

Ron blushed as she giggled. "Oh, no! No, nothing like that!' he said, waving a hand. 'They're with Luna."

"At this time of the night? What on earth for?"

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He really didn't want to be the one to tell her this. Harry was normally better at breaking stuff to Hermione gently, or even Ginny. Hell, Ron would have been able to handle Luna telling her! If he was going to tell her, he'd most likely get his facts wrong, or would say something insensitive to upset her even more.

"Er, actually…maybe Ginny could explain…"

"No, I don't want to wait for Ginny or Harry,' she said, giving him a look. 'You tell me."

Ron blew air through his lips and felt dread rise in his chest. "Hermione, really, Ginny can explain it much better…"

"Just _tell_ me!' she said quickly. 'What's going on, Ron?"

He clenched his jaw and considered her for a moment, before sitting forward and leaning his elbows on his knees. "They're down in Myrtle's bathroom…mixing up the antidote."

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "The antidote?"

"Yes, the antidote."

"Antidote to what? Your infuriating tendency to be deliberately evasive to direct questions?" she snapped.

Ron bit back a furious retort, counted to five and gave her a look. "Do you remember that potion Pansy Parkinson smashed in front of you?"

"Oh, you mean the one that 'accidentally' slipped out of her robes and sent me into a coughing fir for nearly half an hour? Yes, I think I vaguely remember something of the sort."

"Well, that potion wasn't the dud you thought it was."

Hermione opened her mouth to comment, but promptly shut it again as his words sunk in. She watched his face for a moment before trying to speak again, just to make sure he really wasn't kidding.

"But…' she stuttered, looking off into space. 'But, it had to have been! I mean…I checked! I checked every inch of me, and nothing was different. What is it, an ignorance elixir or something? Because that would certainly explain why I haven't noticed anything…'

"No, Hermione…' said Ron, waving his hands. She was rambling very fast now.

"…don't know what it is she could have done! Oh god, maybe it's something I can't see! Ron, quick, tell me! Do I have warts all over my face? Oh god, I hope I haven't been walking around with three eyes and a horn out of my forehead!"

"Hermione, just wait…"

"Did she turn me into a bloke? Oh, how embarrassing if she has and I haven't even noticed! Are my boobs still here? Quick, Ron…check if I have a penis or not!"

"_Hermione_!" cried Ron.

She fell silent but continued to look at him in horror.

Trying desperately to forget about the word penis coming out of her mouth, he suppressed a blush and let out a small breath of relief.

"Hermione, it's all right. We know what she did to you. And no, it doesn't involve and penis. Its okay – just don't panic."

She let out a loud sigh of relief. "Oh, thank heavens for that.' She said. She giggled and shifted a little. 'It would certainly have made walking interesting."

Ron couldn't help it anymore, and he flushed red under her smirk.

"So, what's the diagnosis then?" she asked.

"Hermione…you've been given an Inhibition Release potion. Do you know what that is?"

Slowly, she nodded. "Not precisely, but I think I can have a pretty accurate guess.".

Ron guessed that if she could have, she would have been stroking her jaw in that way she did when her mind was going a million miles an hour, trying to piece together a particularly difficult problem. She looked very confused and he totally understood why. The book had said that she would not notice anything different from her point of view. But, surely she was the exception? Hermione was extremely perceptive and brilliant…

"No, that can't be it.' She said, shaking her head.

"It is it, trust me."

"No, it can't be.' She said. 'It just…it just _can't_ be."

"I assure you that it is.' Said Ron. He'd never seen her in such denial before. 'Even Luna said…"

"_Luna_?' she laughed, looking surprised.

Ron frowned at her tone. 'Luna's not dumb, Hermione,' he said defensively. 'She's smart – she's not in Ravenclaw for no reason, you know. And if it wasn't for her, we would never have been able to figure out what it was Pansy had done to you!"

Hermione considered him for a moment, a little startled by his defensive attitude for a girl he had once upon a time referred to as a bit of a loony.

"Seriously Hermione, if you can't believe Luna, then at least try to believe me.' He continued. 'It all adds up with the way you've been behaving…'

"Behaving?" she snapped. "I'm not some uncontrollable toddler, thank you, Ronald!"

"You know, that's funny, because for the past week and a half it's like you sodding have been!' he retorted angrily. He stood up and felt a little wave of guilt as he saw her flinch against her binds, but hastily pushed it aside. 'Think about it, Hermione! Hasn't _anything_ you've been doing this past fortnight seemed a little different to your normal routine?"

Hermione opened her mouth to scream 'No' at him indignantly, but she bit it back and took a moment to think about her situation. Ron would not have gone to all the trouble of first going to Luna Lovegood for help, then going all the way to London and bring her back and then securing her so she couldn't leave again if he didn't seriously believe something was wrong. And even though he was being a little extreme over it, she did trust him.

So, she thought about it. Had she been doing anything different? Well, she hadn't done her homework in a few days; she'd canceled their prefect meetings for the next month and couldn't remember the last time she'd been in the library. She hadn't done patrols for a few nights; she'd been taking lull moments in class to have a little snooze while the teacher wasn't looking…

But, wasn't she entitled to a little break? After all, she'd been running on full steam ever since the first moment she'd set foot on the grounds six years ago.

She pursed her lips and looked up at him to find him watching her. "Yeah, maybe I have been shaking it up a little. So what?"

"_So what_?" he repeated incredulously, his eyes widening in astonishment.

"Am I not allowed to have a bit of a break after seven years of hard, dedicated work?"

"Of course you are! But this has been more than 'a little break', Hermione!"

"People change, Ron."

"Not so drastically in such a small amount of time!' he cried. 'You left the school without telling anyone where you were going! You've never even gone to the loo during class without telling someone!"

"I told Ginny I would be back in the morning, dammit!' she screamed. 'How many times do I have to say it?"

"That's not the point, Hermione!" yelled Ron, now pacing back and forward in front of her. 'Merlin, I know that you're not thinking straight, and I know that you're not in the driver's seat anymore…'

"I beg your pardon?" she snarled, thrashing against the ropes as he passed her in an attempt to kick him.

Ron stopped his rant and looked at her. "Did you just try to kick me?"

She glared up at him, breathing hard with anger. "You kidnapped me from a nightclub, brought me back here, tied me up, took my wand off me and then proceed to march in front of me like some bloody interrogation officer like I'm a delinquent who's done something wrong. Give me one good sodding reason why I _shouldn't _kick you in the balls right now."

Ron's eyes widened and he swallowed, thankful in that moment that she really was securely tied up. Was this how she wanted to get at him when they normally fought? Or was this just an amplification of the moment and the potion?

He sat back down heavily in his seat with a sigh and put his head in his hands. "This is exactly the reason why I didn't want to be the one to tell you this." He muttered.

Hermione took in the slouch of his shoulders and deflated a little at witnessing his obvious distress. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down and think about this rationally; trying to see all this from an outsider's point of view. Was it true? Had all that had been happening just been the affects of some spell? Everything she had been doing had seemed as natural as breathing and had been rather impulsive.

_Something I'm normally not_. she thought with a frown. _As much as I've longed to be so… _

She looked back around at Ron. He still had his head in his hands. "Why wouldn't I have noticed this before?"

He lifted his head slowly and looked at her, his amber bangs falling into dark blue eyes that were full of emotions she couldn't decipher. And when he spoke again after such a long silence, his voice was a little gravely.

"The book said that you, as the victim, wouldn't notice any changes, because your inner thoughts and wants are as familiar to you as your own reflection.' He said, sitting up again.

"So all this…what I've been doing for the past fortnight…has all been just my sub-conscious wants and desires coming to the surface, pushing my restraint aside?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Hermione nodded slowly. "Yes, that makes sense.'

"Hermione, you have to trust me…'

"I do trust you.' She said, looking him right in the eye. 'I'm just…having difficulty seeing it from your point of view – a new experience for me."

Ron smirked. "What is? Having trouble figuring something out, or seeing something from my side of the world?"

Hermione glared at him with a small smile. "Shut it, Weasley."

She looked away again, flicking stray hairs out of her face as the thought about her situation once more. It was, for once, surprisingly difficult trying to conjure up the ability to think rationally and responsibly. It was like it had somehow been stripped away or hidden so far away she couldn't reach it anymore – something she hadn't even noticed happening until now.

She could certainly see how Pansy would get a kick out of seeing Hermione like this – reduced to being tied to a chair. Had this been her underlining intention? To get Hermione into such a state, that she would cause so much trouble and eventually either get suspended or expelled? Or worse…get her Head duties taken off her?

Hermione scoffed to herself. _Eh, who gives a toss about being Head Girl anymore_?

And then she clicked.

_Wait…what?_ She thought madly. It was like something was fighting in her to get out; like that growing feeling of dread you got when you knew you should be doing something important, knowing it is important, but just couldn't be bothered doing it anymore. She would not have thought that a week ago! Not a week, a month or ever six years ago!

Hermione chuckled bitterly to herself and shook her head. "That _BITCH_!"

Ron jumped and looked at Hermione in shock. "Sorry, what?"

"Pansy Parkinson! Look what she's done to me!' she snarled. 'I mean, sure, I'm having a great deal of fun…but to do this under false pretenses is just the lowest, scummiest, most bitchy thing that slut has _ever_ done to me in the history of our rivalry!"

Ron nearly fell out of his seat in relief. She actually _believed_ him, and was now aware of her condition. This would make things a lot easier. Now she would drink the potion that Harry, Ginny and Luna were making and everything could blissfully go back to normal. He could have his Hermione back.

Hermione slumped against her ropes again and stared into the crackling fireplace beside her, her fuming anger dwindling to a simmer. Her momentary emotion of worry was passing; no doubt with the effect of this potion, and Hermione was beginning to feel content once more.

She looked back around at Ron and smirked, taking in his body. For some reason, everything about him suddenly was very attractive. He was leaning forward on his elbows again, staring off into space with that absent look he exhibited so much during class time. He, like her, was still dressed in the outfit he had worn into London. His jeans fitted him very nicely, and showed off his thighs to their full advantage. The top two buttons of his shirt were conveniently undone, and it gave her a good view of his neck and collarbone.

"You're a good dancer.' She said suddenly, leaning back in her seat.

Ron blinked, zoning back in. 'What?'

"It's a compliment – just smile and nod."

"You know, it's not nice to make fun of someone when one finds themselves in a situation such as yours.' He laughed.

Hermione smiled. "I'm not making fun, I'm being dead serious. Why didn't you ever tell me you could dance?"

Ron shrugged. "Dunno. Never really came up much in general conversation, did it?"

"You could have shown me at the Yule Ball if you hadn't sat there sulking all night."

"Oh yeah, the Ball. What a blast of a night _that_ was." He said sarcastically, shoving his hands in his pockets. 'I would have thought you'd be too wrapped up in _Vicky_ to notice me anyway."

Hermione laughed. "Ah, Viktor, what a sweetheart.' She giggled, remembering the night well. 'He probably would have swept me off my feet too…if only he could have pronounced my name properly."

Ron snorted. "Too bad his brains were in his non-existent biceps."

"If I had've know what a good dancer you were, I would have gone with you instead.' She said, giving Ron a smile.

Ron smiled regretfully, stretched his long legs out and looked at the floor. "Aw, well…the early Hippogriff gets the ferret. Er, that is… not that you're a ferret of course."

Hermione giggled. "Of course."

She continued to watch him long after he had looked away. She felt reckless around him, as if she could do anything simply because of his presence. She felt empowered by him; strengthened, elated and very much alive. He awakened a feeling of liberation within her she didn't feel around anyone else, and she didn't want to spend another day without him knowing that.

"Do you ever regret not asking me to the ball?" she asked.

Ron looked up at her and didn't say anything for a moment. His blue eyes just bored into her brown ones, as if he were trying to tell her the answer telepathically. But, after what seemed hours, he finally smiled and spoke three words that sent chills up Hermione's back.

"All the time."

He wasn't totally sure why he had been so honest; perhaps Luna's advice was still ringing soundly in his ears. Or maybe it was just the way she was looking at him, so unguarded an accepting that he felt he could tell her anything, and probably would if she so asked him.

Hermione smiled and actually blushed. "Me too. Well, that is…I wish I has asked you as well."

Ron blinked in surprise. "You wanted to ask me?"

"Yes, I did."

"Well why didn't you?"

"Because I was old fashioned, and firmly believed that you as the boy should have been the one to ask _me_."

Ron snorted. "It's not that easy you know, going up to a bird and asking her something like that."

"Well Viktor certainly didn't have any problem. Or Neville."

"Yeah, well,' said Ron getting to his feet. 'It's much easier to ask someone as a friend, than it is when you truly…'

He trailed off, blushed and turned back toward the window.

Hermione pursed her lips, feeling a burning curiosity towards what it was he had been about to say. Her skin tingled with the need to be free so she could wrap her arms around him, but as she struggled to pull one hand loose she found herself still tightly restrained.

"Truly what, Ron?" she pressed.

"Never mind…it's stupid…it doesn't matter…'

"If it matters to you it matters.' She said. She craned her neck a little to see him clenching his jaw in a moment of indecision. 'Truly _what_?" she pressed once more.

Ron sighed and felt his ears burn. Maybe if he didn't look it her, he would be able to articulate what it was he had going to say.

"It's harder when…when you truly care for someone so much.' He muttered, not looking at her.

Hermione felt her chest tighten. Although it wasn't as blunt as she would have liked, he had basically just told her to the best of his current ability just how much he really did care for her. And it most certainly was no longer platonic! Hearing that someone you cared for felt just as much as you did about them was one of the best feelings any human could ever experience. She knew she would never forget this feeling, and she knew that she would never feel this way about anyone else.

And she also knew, without a doubt, that she needed to be out of this chair.

"Ron, release me.' She whispered.

He flinched and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He knew he shouldn't; it could have just been some masterful plan to get her wand and am-scray straight back to London. But at the same time, he had this overwhelming urge just to hold her.

Hermione watched him think for a moment, before sighing. "For the love of God, Ron, _please_…'

And quick as a flash, he flicked his wand at her binds and they fell loosely to the floor.

She shrugged them off and looked back up at him to see him put his wand down on the windowsill without a word or a glance in her direction. Slowly, she got to her feet and walked over to him.

Ron didn't say anything as she stood before him, looking up at him with those big brown eyes that were so full of different emotions he couldn't decipher just one. What could he say? There weren't any words witty, or significant, or meaningful enough to express in that single moment.

"You care for me?" she whispered, her face inches from his.

He smiled, involuntarily placing his hands on her hips. "Hermione, surely _you_, being the freakishly intelligent witch you are, would have already known what all the student body and half the faculty have known since I was fourteen years old."

"I'm tired of speculation and the rowdy, hear-say gossip of immature adolescents with nothing better to do with their free time.' She said. 'I want to hear it from _you_."

Ron's breath hitched for a moment as he looked down at her. Half her face was illuminated silver from the moon outside shining through the window, the other half glowing a steady gold from the fireplace. Her eyes were shining and he was quickly loosing control of a situation he had long ago become lost in.

He nodded. "Yeah, I care about you."

Hermione smiled, reached up and stroked his face. "I know.' She said, leaning up a little more.

"That really doesn't surprise me.' He chuckled.

She slid her hand around to the back of his head and brought it down a little to meet her. She kissed the corner of his mouth very softly, like a breath of wind, and Ron closed his eyes with a suppressed moan.

"Show me how much.' she whispered in his ear, grazing her teeth against softly his earlobe.

Ron shivered and stood stock still as she began kissing down the cords of his neck. He was trying desperately to keep a grip on his sanity and control, but long buried feelings were quickly rising to the surface, making such a task almost impossible. How long had he wanted to hold her like this? To have her kiss him like this? He wanted her, and nothing but her so badly…

"We…we can't do this.' He muttered. He didn't make to stop her.

"Why not?" she breathed, stroking his face with the back of her hand.

"Because it's wrong, Hermione.'

"How can it be wrong for two people who care so much about each other, to show it to one another?" she whispered, bringing their foreheads together.

Ron swallowed and resisted the urge to lean in. He didn't want to take advantage. "The potion…what it's done to you…'

"The potion hasn't changed me, Ron…it's _released_ me.' She said softly, looking him right in the eye. 'Without my inhibition, I finally have the opportunity to show people what it is I really want! I can be myself for the first time in my life, and I like it. I like being seen as a woman, not a bookworm. I like being appreciated, and admired and free. And most of all…I like that I have the liberty to tell you how I really feel about you."

"But, Hermione…"

"This potion brings out of the dark that what I've always wanted and desired – _who_ I've always wanted and desired." She corrected.

Ron stumbled back a little, but she was back up against him in a second. They were holding each other so closely; their most intimate contact to date, in fact. Hermione was stroking his face softly with the back of her fingers, and Ron was leaning into her caress, his control slipping quickly from his grasp.

"Don't you see, Ron?' she whispered. 'It's _you_ I want. It's always been you, and it will always continue to be you. For years now, you're the biggest desire my heart has held secret, and now I can finally tell you about it! I want you, and I want to be _with_ you. Everything about you…its all I've thought about. I want everything you have to offer. Everything… even your quirky sense of humor and your incorrigible personality and your sometimes horrendous fashion sense. "

She leant in, her lips hovering mere millimeters from his, and she closed her eyes. She wanted to kiss him, but she also wanted to play around a little more. She'd made her intentions know, and now it was his turn.

"Check,' she whispered. 'Your move."

Ron knew his heart rate had increased almost as much as his breathing. Here was this woman he had loved for as long as he could remember, standing before him, declaring that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. The reality that this was actually happening was driving him insane.

He licked his lips, still very aware of her own just in front of them. All he had to do was move forward just the tiniest of distances and she would be his. But would she still want him after this potion had been reversed? Would her willingness and openness diminish, and be hidden behind all those walls once more?

_But, this is her_. He thought. _She wants me even if she doesn't admit it. It doesn't change what she wants, only her ability to show it. _

And with that in mind, unable to take the hesitation any longer, Ron leant forward quickly and seized her lips hungrily with his.

Hermione moaned, instantly wrapping her arms around his neck and responding to the kiss with all the passion she had been suppressing for him for the past three years. Ron slid his arms around her waist, lifted her off her feet and pushed her up against the nearest wall.

It was a frenzy of hands searching every inch of torso they'd fantasized about for so long. But while Ron was still cautious about where his big hands went on her body, Hermione had already unbuttoned his shirt completely and was raking her fingernails across his bare chest.

Kissing her was a million times better than he had imagined. Her lips were soft and tasted a little like alcohol. Her kisses were firm, insistent and very hot, and it was taking what little self control he had left not to grind his hips into her and show her just much he was enjoying himself. Her breath was hot as she kissed his neck again, sucking gently on the dip of his throat.

Hermione couldn't recall having ever been kissed like this, nor having the reaction that came with it. There had been that awkward moment when Viktor had kissed her goodnight after the Yule Ball, and then that other time when Cormac McLaggen had tried to kiss her at Slughorn's party the previous year, but neither of them had invoked any passion like this within her. She'd wanted this for so long, and having him now was like having a drug she would forever be addicted to and would never want to quit.

He captured her lips again and suddenly began laughing.

"What's so funny at a time like this?" she asked, taking his face in her hands.

Ron smirked and kissed her again, running his tongue along her bottom lip teasingly. "Just thinking how awkward this would be if you really _had_ suddenly grown a penis."

Hermione laughed and brought his lips crashing back down onto hers. It wasn't like either of them to be so intense of eager with a partner, but this was something different between them that they had not had with anyone else before. Besides, they had forced the relationship into the platonic sector for seven long years of it actually being so much more than that…perhaps a little lust and enthusiasm was long overdue.

Ron ran his hands up her sides, itching to place them on the front of her chest. Sensing his want, she smirked against his mouth, grabbed his wrist and guided it to her left breast. He moaned into her mouth at the permission and began exploring this new territory, feeling a shiver run down his back every time she moaned with pleasure.

She let her head fall back against the wall and just abandoned herself to him, letting him kiss her neck, touch her chest, and run his hands all over in any way his male teenage hormones desired. His hands that unusually looked a little awkward when casting spells or catching the quaffle, were now casting their own magic along her bare skin. Now even more than she had before, she was glad she had decided to go with the halter top.

"Mmm…Ron…' she moaned as she licked his way down her neck.

Ron pressed himself into her more, wanting to feel every inch of her up against him. She was so warm, and her skin was so soft, and she felt amazing against the bare skin of his chest. He was getting excited very quickly, and every time they moved it created a delightful friction in the crotch of his pants.

"You smell so good.' He muttered against her neck. 'What is this smell?"

"Something of Lavenders." She moaned, closing her eyes.

Ron's eyes flew open at the realization of where he recognized this smell. _Strange_, he thought. _It hadn't smelt this good on Lavender_.

He shrugged and went back to work.

Hermione hooked a leg around his, bringing their pelvis's closer together. She smirked as Ron let out a low growl, came back up for a moment of air and then seized her mouth with his once more. In the back of her mind, she made a mental note to thank god for Lavender Brown and her obvious superb tutor skills.

Ron slid his hands up the bottom of Hermione top and caressed the soft skin there of her stomach, wanting to touch so much more but not wanting to push his luck. He felt like he was on fire and that there was only one conceivable solution to put it out.

"Ron…' whispered Hermione in his ear. 'I don't want to wait any longer."

"Wait for what?"

"For you to take me."

Ron shivered, very unfortunately feeling some true sense come back to him. He pulled back and looked down at her. Her lips were red from all the kissing and her cheeks were flushed. Her chest was heaving with her heavy breathing and he could see the pulse point in her neck throbbing with obvious excitement and arousal.

But they couldn't really do this. Not now. It was one thing to snog her and feel her up a little bit, but sleeping her (while it was something he very much wanted to do) would be something he just couldn't. Not in her current state at least. It would most definitely be taking advantage of the situation, and he knew that if she had been herself he would not even have gone this far with her.

"Hermione, I…' he trailed off.

She frowned, running her hands up and down his arms. "What is it?"

He sighed, doing some quick thinking. How was he going to do this without making her either extremely angry or extremely hurt?

"I…it's just…er…"

"What, Ron?"

"I'm not ready.' He blurted out.

Hermione blinked, and he hoped to all the gods of the universe that this was going to be a valid enough excuse.

"Not ready?' she echoed, looking confused.

Ron nodded, feeling very stupid.

"But, we've just…and you…'

"I'm not ready for that, you know.' He muttered. 'It's…part of the reason things didn't go so well with Lavender."

Hermione watched his face for a moment with a curious expression, as if she couldn't quite believe what he was saying. What straight guy after all would reject such a blunt offer to get some?

"It's just…we've only just got together, and we're all emotional and stuck up here in the Room of Requirement in clothes we've been wearing all night and we're half drunk and…' he stopped his babbling and sighed. 'I just think you deserve more than an impulsive shag, is all."

She grinned, feeling her heart swell. He was so incredibly sweet sometimes…even if he was making her very sexually frustrated.

"So you want to wait?"

Ron smiled, resisting the urge to sigh with relief. "Yes, I want to wait." He said, stroking her face. 'Besides, the others could be back any minute, and I don't fancy having my kid sister, best friend and the looniest girl in the school catching me in such a circumstance."

Hermione sighed, leaned up and gave him a very slow, passionate kiss. Ron moaned, instantly feeling a deep loathing for his damn conscience. She broke away, gave his backside a little pinch and then strolled around him, leaving him standing there with his lips pursed, his eyebrows raised and his eyes half closed.

She sat herself down in the seat she had been strapped to and sighed, fanning her face. "Well, come on."

Ron blinked and shook himself back into reality. He turned around and looked at her. "What?"

"Well, it's quite obvious isn't it?' she said, that bossy tone he loved so much making another glorious encore. 'For the sake of both of our virginities…you're going to have to tie me down."

Ron grinned.

"A million very dirty thoughts and images flashed through your mind just now, didn't they?"

Ron's grin widened.

Hermione laughed. "Just get on with it, before I show you how much better reality can be than daydreams."

* * *

A/N – I know this was a strange place to end this, but it was getting far too long, so I'm continuing it onto the next chapter. I really do appreciate your patience for these chapters; as it's getting increasingly difficult to find time to be alone and let the creative juices flow. Normally it only takes me a few days at the most, but lately my weekly updates are frustrating me, as they doubt are you guys as well.

Please review!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10! Well, as most of you could probably guess, this story will soon be drawing to a close! I hope to get a few more chapters out of it though, so just stick around a little longer!

---------------

"Okay, Harry…pass over the Kneezle urine, will you?"

Harry looked up from the jar of pickled toad he had been examining and looked at Ginny as she knelt bowed over the cauldron, her brow knitted in concentration as she stirred the bubbling mixture before her. "Hermione has to drink piss?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Its part of the antidote. See? It says right here…'

"Yeah…but _piss_?"

"She doesn't have to know what we're putting in it. Now, pass it over or we'll never get this bloody potion finished!"

Sighing and feeling very grateful that he was not the one both making this potion and would later have to drink it, he searched his potions box for the right jar and handed it wordlessly over to Ginny.

The girl's bathroom was completely silent, save for the occasional clinking of glass vials as Harry rummaged through his kit, and Ginny reading the instructions of how to make the antidote out loud and asking for ingredients to add to the bubbling cauldron. They had set it up in the middle of the floor just near the sink, so they could have access to the taps if needed and wouldn't pass out from the fumes of the potion.

"You know,' said Luna dreamily from the sink where she was chopping up some herbs on a cutting board. 'Urine isn't as vulgar to drink as it sounds."

"Luna, I don't even want to know _how_ you know that." Grimaced Harry.

Luna smiled at him over her shoulder. "No, you probably don't."

Ginny smiled as she added some more ingredients, but didn't comment.

"So, how's it going?" asked Harry, eyeing the potion in front of him.

"Well, I just need to add a few more things and then that's that part finished.' Said Ginny, reading over the book flopped open on the floor beside her. 'At least we don't have to make it in a huge hurry."

"How does it work?" he asked.

"Its pretty much instant, unlike the other potion she was given.' Said Ginny, measuring out some green liquid. 'I guess its meant to work that way, so that when people want to come down from their party high, they don't have to wait a week for it to take affect and risk people noticing."

Harry smiled. "Lucky, that."

Luna sighed, put her knife back in the sink and carried the chopping board over to Ginny. "Here's the Mugwart you wanted, Ginny…evenly chopped."

"Ah, smashing. Cheers, Luna."

"You're most welcome.' Laughed Luna. She spun around on her tiptoes, rather like a ballerina and had a look around the dark, empty lavatory. The stone surfaces were glowing silver from the moon filtering in through the windows, except for the small, golden glow of the fire that had been lit underneath the small cauldron in the middle of the floor. It was really quite interesting, this bathroom, for no-one ever went in there unless they absolutely had to…and not just because of the ghost that inhabited it either.

Luna spun around and sighed looking around at the sinks she had just been standing over. "So, is that really where the Chamber of Secrets is?"

There was a moment's uncomfortable pause as Harry looked up at Luna, and then immediately back around to Ginny. She was looking determinedly into the cauldron, but her ears had flushed pink and she looked suddenly a little rigid. He could feel her discomfort at this subject – Ginny never talked about her first year if she could help it.

She looked up at Harry, feeling his eyes on her. He gave her what she guessed was a sympathetic smile, but she turned away quickly, not wanting to see it.

"Yeah, that's it.' She muttered, adding more ingredients to the potion.

"So unassuming, isn't it?' Cooed Luna, gazing at the sink. 'A sink in a girl's bathroom – who would have guessed what it would be concealing beneath it. How very fascinating."

"Oh yeah,' said Ginny flatly. 'So interesting."

Harry grimaced at Ginny's obvious discomfort, and he had never wanted more for Luna just to drop the subject. He knew _he_ didn't really like to think of that time down in the Chamber when he had almost died, and he could just imagine how horrible it would be for Ginny to relive those memories.

And just as he was about to turn to Luna and try and get her to shut up, Luna sighed happily and crossed toward the door.

"Well, excuse me for a few moments, wont you? I have to do number one."

Harry quirked an eyebrow. "But…Luna, we're already in a bathroom."

"Yes, but I'd rather use a toilet in where there is no risk of Myrtle popping up at a very…_inconvenient_ time, if you get my drift." Said Luna, giving him a look.

"Oh yeah, I get you.' He nodded, images of his experience in the prefect bathroom flashing through his mind.

Luna smiled, wrenched the door open and left in a whirl of long blonde hair.

Harry turned back to Ginny, feeling the tension in the air intensify for some reason. Ginny was still bent over the cauldron, stirring it with her long glass stirrer with a hunch to her shoulders.

"She wasn't trying to upset you, you know." He said softly.

Ginny nodded. "I know; she's just interested." She said flatly.

Harry ruffled his hair from the back and shifted on the cold, stone floor. "Are you alright?"

"Of course I'm alright."

"Sure you are.'

Ginny's stiff demeanor cracked a little and she rubbed her eyes. "Don't sit there and pretend that you know how I feel about all this, Harry."

"I'm one of the only people who _does_ know how you feel!"

She looked up at him across the cauldron, her brown eyes looking directly into his emerald ones almost defiantly. "Do you really? Do you know what its like to know you're hurting people you love? Do you know what its like to wake up from a daydream and find blood on your hands? Actual real, red, sticky blood?"

Harry wanted to say that he did, but in reality, he really didn't. Her possession by Riddle, while he had experienced something similar in the past, was not something he could say he had ever truly been through.

Ginny shook her head and looked back into the cauldron. "No, you don't. And I don't ever want you to…even though one day you probably will."

They fell into silence once more, only the sound of bubbling potion breaking it. Harry wanted to comfort her, put his arm around her, kiss her…but he couldn't. And it was frustrating to no end. Maybe when all this was all over, he could do all those things he loved doing with her once more.

That was, of course, assuming she would have a broken man to love.

"I still dream about it sometimes."

Harry's head snapped up as her tentative voice cracked the silence. She wasn't looking at him, but at the golden flames heating the cauldron above it, the flames reflected in her shining eyes. "You do?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Not as much as I used to when I was younger, but…' she trailed off and sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest and running a hand through her long, amber hair. 'Sometimes, in my dreams…I can still feel him with me. I can feel his long, cold fingers curled around my wrist, guiding my hand to do those terrible things. I can sense him standing at my shoulder, whispering things in my ear in that soothing, calm voice he used to have…'

Harry listened without interrupting. This was something she had never talked to him about before, and it was interesting to know that he really could comfort her, just by shutting his trap and listening to what she had to say.

Ginny shuddered, as if just realizing what it was she was saying, and seized up the book on the floor to hide her face behind. "Not that any of that matters anymore anyway. We have to work on this for Hermione…'

"Ginny, Hermione's not going anywhere. If you want to talk about this…"

"No, Harry, I really don't."

"I don't believe that."

Ginny looked up at him and looked very much like she wanted to heave another sigh. "Harry, I realize that you're trying to be helpful and supportive and by all accounts completely lovely, but I really don't want to talk about this now when we have to focus. Okay?"

Harry smirked and went to make a witty remark, when the doors banged open again. The two Gryffindors jumped in horror, but relaxed when they spotted it was only Luna.

"Sorry, did I scare you?" she giggled, coming to sit down next to Ginny.

"Only a little. No need for a knicker change.' Said Ginny, putting the book back in her lap.

Harry snorted and Luna smiled. "And here I was conforming to the popular belief that Gryffindors were _brave_ individuals, not easily startled."

"Generally we're not,' said Harry. 'But brewing up illegal substances in the middle of the floor of a girl's loo does tend to make one a little jumpy."

Ginny smirked. "You would know."

She added a few more ingredients into the potion, stirred it and the bubbling liquid turned from a shade of light green to a ripe red. "Ah, good."

"What? What does that mean?" asked Harry eagerly.

"Means it's done.' She said happily. 'Just needs five more minutes to brew at a simmer."

"Brew at a simmer? What are we making, Ravioli?" asked Harry.

"I think Ravioli would have been simpler than this." Laughed Ginny, getting to her feet.

Harry and Luna did the same and Luna pushed Ginny playfully. "Don't be so absurd, you have very adequate Potion making skills."

"Adequate as in what, boiling water?' Muttered Ginny.

Luna sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm going to start packing up. Excuse me, wont you?"

Harry moved around toward Ginny as Luna moved away to clean up any signs that they had been there. He shoved his hands in his pockets and watched Ginny as she bent down and began packing up all the potion ingredients.

"That was good work, you know." He muttered.

Ginny looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you. Normally I can't even brew a simple Serenity Elixir without it all going to goop."

"You're better at this than you give yourself credit for.'

"Doubtful."

"Luna seems to think you are."

"Luna thinks that the Aurors are going to give everyone gum-disease."

Harry snorted. "Alright, touché." He watched her pack up a little more, before taking another step forward and doing something that, given the circumstances, he really should not have done. "So er, I was thinking, you know, after we sort this whole mess out with Hermione and she goes all homework-Nazi and completely nutzo on us again…maybe you'd like to go with me on the next Hogsmeade weekend."

Ginny straightened up slowly and looked at him, a small grin playing across her mouth. "What, is this…are you asking me on a date?"

"No, course not.' He blushed with a smile. 'Just a casual afternoon with a guy who used to be your boyfriend and is now just a friend who happens to share an interest in Zonko's and Butterbeer."

In any other circumstances, this would have been recognized as a sign for a date, where they could be alone together and do things that people normally did when they were alone together. But, as he had clearly told her last year, he didn't want that with her anymore. She suspected deep down that he did, and that their breakup was purely for protection and appearances, but she had respected him enough not to argue at the time. And she suspected now that this was just his way of wanting to spend time with her.

Her grin widened. "I'll take that into consideration."

Harry smiled, and her heart melted.

--------------

"Truth or dare?"

"Oh honestly, what a preposterous thing to ask me!"

"Why's that?"

"I'm strapped to a sodding chair, Ron. How the blazes am I meant to perform any sort of dare?"

"Does that mean you're picking truth?"

"I'd say that's a pretty good indication, yes."

"Excellent. Alright then – did you go to the ball with Krum just to make me jealous?"

Hermione watched Ron opposite from her for a second, enjoying the way he was trying to look casual, before smirking. "No, Mr. Everything-is-about-me."

Ron laughed and folded his arms over his chest. "Excuse me, but you have to tell the truth!"

"I don't recall being fed Veritaserum in the past hour and a half."

"I can have it arranged if you'd prefer."

Hermione pursed her lips in a smile. "Oh, alright, fine. Maybe on some level I _did_ want to make you jealous."

Ron arched an eyebrow, feeling his ego inflate. "On some level?"

"Yes, on some level…and I swear there's an echo in here. You just don't understand what it was like from my point of view! Viktor was this huge, International Quidditch star, Tri-wizard champion, not to mention an older guy, who had taken an interest in boring old bookwork-Granger, and he was just such a sweet boy…' she trailed off and smiled. 'I was getting sick of waiting for you to pull your finger out and ask me, so when he asked me instead I just said yes."

"Knowing it would annoy me?"

"Hoping it would make you see me as a girl for once and not just a walking encyclopedia. Besides, you asked Phlegm!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Alright, I was a git! I still _am_ a git! You're queen of the universe and rule over all us lower mortals. Happy now, you dictator?"

Hermione smiled smugly. "Very, thank you."

"Okay, you're turn."

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Ooh, there are _so_ many things I could ask you right now…"

"Keep it clean, please."

Hermione grinned cheekily. "Alright…was the reason you sulked like a baby the whole night at the Yule Ball because you were jealous?"

Ron inflated in mock indignation. "_Jealous_? Of that duck-footed, hunch backed, grumpy looking nitwit?"

Hermione just looked at him.

"Yeah okay…maybe I was a little.' Admitted Ron, blushing furiously. 'It just seemed so unnatural that you had gone with someone else. If you had gone with Harry, I don't think I would have minded so much. But to go with _him_…I don't know, I just felt so…_insulted_."

"Why? Because I'm girl '_your girl'_?"

"I certainly hope so."

Hermione smiled, not feeling the need to blush like she normally would have at such a statement. She really liked the fact that she could be 'his girl', even though it was very chauvinistic, old fashioned and she did not need to be labeled in such a fashion.

"Okay, your turn." She said, shrugging against her ropes.

Ron leant back in his seat and looked at her. He could have asked her anything, and there was a good chance that given her current state of mind, she would have answered with complete honesty. It was a bit of a head rush to have such freedom with her, and he was quite enjoying this playful side of her.

"Truth or dare?"

"Truth, duh."

Ron smirked. "When did you first realize you were head over heels in love with me?"

Hermione laughed. "Ha! You are remarkably self assured, has anyone ever told you that?"

"I tell myself that every day actually. Now spill it girly."

"I don't think that there was one defining moment in out very long, enchanting and sometimes very melodramatic history together.' She said, giving him that once-over look he was now so used to seeing. 'It's not just one thing about you, Ron…its everything."

Ron blushed. "Interesting you should suddenly think so."

"I've always thought so."

Ron smiled, his ears flushing a deeper shade of red than his face.

Hermione smiled; satisfied that he had both become embarrassed and had not argued with her. "Truth or dare?"

"Er…truth."

She pursed her lips, feeling that annoying sensible tug at the back of her mind at the question she thought up. "Why did you go with Lavender?"

Ron groaned and rubbed his face in his hands. "Hermione, don't…"

"Tell me,' she insisted softly. 'I want to know why. I mean sure, I get that she's hot and alluring and probably a really good kisser…"

"Not as good as you." Said Ron with a small smile.

Hermione smirked, feeling very smug.

Ron sighed and rubbed his hands together. "Why did I go with her? I don't know…because she was there, and she was willing, I guess. It was like you said before; I got sick of waiting for you to say something. I didn't even know for sure if you liked me this way. And then there was that remark Ginny said to me last year about being immature and a dolt and…I guess it just sort of happened."

"You wanted to make a point to your sister?"

"Partly, yeah. Honestly, I was feeling a bit left behind. I mean, Harry had been with Cho, Ginny had been with Dean _and_ Michael Corner, and you'd been with Krum…"

"Wait; hold on,' she said, giving him a look. 'I had not been with Viktor at all! That's just you and your imagination."

"Well, it's not like you ever discredited it!' said Ron. 'You never said you _hadn't_ been with him, and Harry said…"

"Oh, honestly, how the bloody hell would _Harry_ know?" she laughed. 'But we're getting off track here. We're meant to be talking about you and Lavender and the intimate, deep relationship you shared."

Ron snorted. "Look, it didn't mean anything to me really. She was just a…er, a…"

Hermione smiled. "A good girl to practice your snogging techniques on? Or lack thereof?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I know that sounds horrible."

"It'd be even more horrible to delude her into thinking that you really cared for her when you didn't."

Ron nodded, waited for the moment to pass, and then smiled up at her. "Truth of dare?"

"Truth."

"Did it make you jealous? Seeing me with Lavender?"

"It made me ill, not jealous."

"Come on, seriously!" he laughed. "Did it?"

Hermione smiled and looked down at her feet. "I would have thought the canaries would have been a good enough indication."

Ron rubbed his face at the memory. "I'm still plucking yellow feathers out of my hair from that, you know."

"You deserved it for being such an arse."

He laughed. "You know, this has been the first good banter we've had in a good couple of months."

"Too long if you ask me.' She smiled. 'Come over here for a second."

Ron looked at her suspiciously for a moment, before shrugging and rising out of his seat slowly. He crossed the short distance toward her and stood in front of her, hands in his pockets.

Hermione snorted. "Bend down you beanstalk, I don't fancy talking to your crotch at the present time."

Blushing, he bent down to her level.

"Closer."

He moved in a little.

"_Closer!_"

Ron laughed and leant right in until their noses were almost touching. She simply smiled at him for a moment, before leaning in and pressing her mouth against his. Ron was a little shocked, before he quickly relaxed and kissed her back.

It only lasted a few seconds, before she pulled back and giggled. "Sorry, I couldn't help it."

"You cheeky little minx.' He chuckled. 'All you had to do was say so!"

He cupped her face and kissed her again, this time holding her in place so she couldn't pull away and ruin his fun. He just couldn't get over how good she was at this! He remembered his first time kissing, and it was very awkward and messy and kind of gross. But her kisses were confident and soft and neat. Maybe that was just another effect of the potion, or maybe she was just a naturally good kisser.

"Er, ahem.' Came an amused, familiar male voice from the doorway.

Ron jerked away from Hermione, jumped back with a cry, tripped over his foot and fell hard onto the floor with a THUMP. "Ow, shite!" he grumbled.

Hermione giggled down at him for a moment as he rubbed his backside, before she looked over her shoulder at Ginny, Harry and Luna standing in the doorway, all of them looking at her with a very amused and smug expression.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you lot not to linger in doorways?' asked Hermione conversationally, as if it were perfectly normal for her to be tied to a chair, dressed as she was and kissing Ron soundly on the lips. 'It's bad manners."

Ginny burst out laughing and rushed into the room. She just stood there looking at both Hermione and her brother on the floor, dancing on tiptoes and quite obviously beside herself with excitement.

"So is standing in doorways and perving in on a private moment!" snapped Ron irritably, pulling himself up from the floor.

Harry snorted and tugged Luna into the room by her hand, closing the door behind them. "Well, now you know how Ginny felt when you sprung her and Dean last year."

"Yes! See? Someone's on the right track!" said Ginny, pointing at Harry but simply beaming at Hermione. And without warning, she launched herself forward and threw her arms around Hermione. "Finally, you've done it! It's about time!"

"We kissed Ginny,' laughed Hermione. 'We're not eloping."

"Doesn't matter, its still smashing!" squealed Ginny.

"Yeah, alright, that's enough from you!" said Ron, grabbing Ginny around the middle and wrenching her of a laughing Hermione.

"As apologetic as we are to break up this love fest the two of you have started…' said Luna, stepping forward.

"_Love fest?_" exclaimed Ron, going purple with embarrassment.

'…but we have the antidote ready." Finished Luna, pulling out a vial from her robes.

Ron straightened up, his embarrassment fading as he looked at the red liquid that filled up the small glass vial in Luna's hand. He smiled and plucked it from her grasp. "This is it? _Really_?"

"Really really." Said Luna, giving him a smile.

"Ha! You hear that, Hermione?"

Hermione looked at the vial as Ron showed it to her, but she didn't feel any excitement toward it. The red liquid invoked no feeling her besides apprehension….but she smiled weakly for Ron's sake and nodded.

"Yeah, cool.' She said flatly.

Ron frowned at her obvious lack of enthusiasm, but Harry had seized the vial in the next moment and was shaking it.

"Ginny did a right good job on this, you know. I think you'd be proud of her and her skills she's developed." Said Harry, giving Hermione a smile.

Hermione gave him a forced smile in return.

"And we're sorry about tying you up as well, Hermione, but…well; I assume Ron explained everything to you." Said Ginny, sitting down with a tired grunt. 'You know…after he finished sucking face with you of course."

"Watch what you're saying, Ginny!' snapped Ron, waggling a finger at her teasing smile.

"Come on, mate! Its good news!' laughed Harry, clapping Ron on the shoulder. 'At least it wasn't someone like McGonagall busting you during a snog session."

Hermione tuned their conversation out and looked into the flames. She had nothing to add to this meaningless chatter, and for some dismal reason did not want to look at anyone. Her euphoria from kissing Ron and playing that silly game of truth or dare had worn off completely now.

"I can't believe you actually made this, Ginny." laughed Ron, examining the potion once more. "You can even cook mum's special home made soup without making smoke signals for the neighbours."

"I beg your pardon?" cried Ginny indignantly. "I'm a Weasley! I can cook anything put in front of me! And don't give me that look, Luna, its true!"

"Oh, I don't know,' sniggered Ron, glad to be back teasing his sister instead of the other way around. 'If there was a cooking contest between you and Hagrid, I think it would be a pretty close finish."

"It would _not_…"

"Can we stop this please?" interrupted Harry. "God, sometimes I feel like your bloody mother, breaking up your spats all the time!"

Ron and Ginny smiled apologetically.

Luna snatched the vial out of Ron's hand, uncorked it and strode over to Hermione. She pulled her wand out, waved it, and Hermione's binds fell loosely to the floor.

"Here you are, Hermione. Drink up in one big gulp. You don't have to inhale this one." Said Luna, holding the potion out for the brunette seated in front of her.

Hermione took the small, glass vial in her long fingers and examined it with a steely indifference. The red potion splashed around inside as Hermione's hand shook a little, but she was otherwise very still.

After a very long moment, she sighed and handed the vial back to Luna. "No.

The other's exchanged a quick, confused, worried look.

"No?' asked Ginny, frowning down at her in confusion.

"No, I don't want to take it." Said Hermione, shaking her head defiantly.

"But, Hermione…' stuttered Ron. He looked over his shoulder at the others and found them to be as concerned as he was. 'Hermione, this is the _antidote_."

"Yes, I know, Ron. I have been following."

Harry looked down at her for a moment, before laughing. "Hermione, I don't think you understand…"

"No, it's you who doesn't understand!' she said. She wasn't angry, more desperate than anything else. 'I don't want to go back to the way I was. I don't want to go to bed with headaches from stress, and see homework and essays in my sleep, and have to carry the entire student body's life on my shoulders. I don't want to be so repressed and so judged and so looked upon. You have no idea how good I've felt about myself this past fortnight; how much fun I've been having.' She clenched her jaw and looked away from them. 'I don't want that other life anymore. I won't be bookworm Granger anymore."

The four of them simply watched her for a moment, not quite knowing what to say to such an outburst. Hermione's chest was heaving, and for the first time in a fortnight she actually looked stressed.

Without thinking, Ron knelt down in front of her and took her hands in his. "Hermione, no one ever expected you to take on so much."

"I thought I had to.' She muttered, looking into her lap. 'I just…wanted to prove something. I tried to be someone responsible and strong…but I just turned out to be a big phony."

"No, Hermione, no!" urged Ron. 'Not you…never you. You're one of the strongest, most determined people I know."

"I don't want to be boring again.' She said, looking at him in the eye. 'These past few days I've been admired and liked…and I've enjoyed it so much, Ron! I've been so free and felt so good and happy.'

"And you can still be that, Hermione." He said with a smile. "You can still be happy and free and admired. You just need to chill out and cut back on the workload. You need to find that balance."

Hermione looked down at him in silence, completely forgetting that there were three other people in the room. She'd never known Ron to be like this; so accepting and calm. He was saying all the right things, something that never usually happened. She could feel his assurance, and knew that whatever she did and however she was, he would still accept her just the way she was…potion or no potion.

She bit her lip. "Will you still love me?" she whispered.

Ron smiled, raised her hand to his mouth and lightly kissed her knuckles. 'I fell in love with the bookworm, Hermione. This sassy vixen was just a previously unseen bonus."

Hermione smiled down at him. She sighed and looked at the potion in her hand once more. She still wasn't sure if she wanted to take it. She liked being this way…not having any bad feelings to deal with. But it wasn't real, and if there was one thing she knew she wouldn't stand, it was living a lie.

And with that thought in mind, she brought the vial to her lips and took the whole potion down in one quick swig. It traveled down her through quickly, like ice, and she coughed only once.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened immediately. She simply handed the empty glass vial back to Luna and stood up in kind of a daze, Ron still holding her hand.

Harry watched her cautiously. "You alright, Hermione? How do you feel?"

Hermione frowned and put a hand to her forehead, feeling as if her mind was changing shape. "My head hurts."

"Do you need to sit down?" asked Ginny, taking Hermione's other arm in support.

"No, I'm alright.' Insisted Hermione, blinking rapidly. She looked around the room with blurry eyes for a moment, as if she was hung-over, before her eyes landed on Ron.

He arched his eyebrows. "You back?"

She looked into space pensively for a moment. Her face was blank and glowing from the fireplace adjacent to her, as if she was completely befuddled by everything happening to her. But then, very quickly in fact, her expression turned into recognition, then realization, and finally horror.

"Oh my heavenly lord.' She muttered. She looked down at herself and her eyes widened even more. 'Oh…oh no…"

Ginny giggled. "Yep, she's back."

"I most certainly am.' Said Hermione, sounding mortified.

She swatted Ginny and Ron's hands off her irritably and stumbled around the room a little like a drunken townsman trying to make his way home from the pub. The others just watched on cautiously as Hermione surveyed her surroundings, her mind apparently going a million miles an hour.

She stopped just beside Harry, bit her lip and looked around at Luna. "Did I really give Marcus Belby a lap dance?"

Luna smiled regretfully. "I'm afraid so. Although he did say it was one of the better ones he'd had in a long time."

Hermione smiled weakly, gave a sort of half hiccup, half laugh…and then collapsed into Harry's arms.

"What happened?' cried Ron, rushing forward as Harry grunted and lifted Hermione up into his arms to cradle her. 'Is she alright? What's the matter?"

"She's okay, Ron, don't panic; the book said that this can happen.' Said Ginny brushing the hairs out of Hermione's closed eyes. 'She's gone a fortnight without any stress or worry…having it all come back in such a rush was probably too much for her."

"But, will she be alright?" asked Ron, trying to be calm. Looking at her unconscious in Harry's arms was enough to make him a bit jumpy.

"She'll be fine.' Said Luna, tapping Ron on the arm soothingly. 'She just needs some rest."

Ron nodded and rubbed his hands together to occupy them. "Here, give her to me." He said to Harry.

"It's alright, Ron, I got her." Said Harry.

"No, really Harry, give her to me."

"Ron, its okay." Insisted Harry kindly, giving Ron a look. "I got her."

Ron surveyed Harry for a long moment, feeling rather uneasy about this, but finally gave into his trust for Harry, sighed and nodded.

"Listen, Ron, you should take Luna back up to Ravenclaw Tower.' Said Ginny, extinguishing the flames in the fireplace and throwing the room into semi-darkness. 'It's getting pretty late."

Ron frowned and dragged his eyes away from Hermione to consider his sister. "What? Why me?"

"Cause you're a prefect, and it would be much more plausible for Luna to be out at this late hour if she's with you compared to if she was alone." Reasoned Ginny.

"But what about you guys?' said Ron. 'Carrying an unconscious Head Girl around in the dead of night may raise a few eyebrows."

"Gryffindor Tower is only a few seconds from here,' said Harry, shifting Hermione's weight a little in his arms. 'But Ravenclaw Tower is on the other side of the castle. Luna could get in serious trouble if she's seen walking all the way back by herself."

Ron pursed his lips and ruffled his hair, casting a sideward glance at Hermione. He knew it made logical sense, and it really didn't want Luna to get into trouble, especially not after all the help she had been – but he didn't want to leave Hermione's side either.

"Ronald, I'll understand if you wish to stay with Hermione." Said Luna.

"No, it's alright.' Said Ron. He gave Luna a smile and then looked at Harry. 'Harry's got her."

Harry smiled. "We'll meet you back up at Gryffindor Tower in a few, then."

Ron nodded and very quickly brushed hair away from Hermione's forehead and planted a small kiss.

He cleared his throat, trying to ignore Ginny's smirk. "Come on Luna, let's go."

----------------

A/N – like it? Hate it? Let me know your favorite part or line!

Please review!


	11. Epilogue

Chapter 11! Well, this is the end of this story I'm afraid. I thought I might be able to get a few more chapters out of it, but I feel like I should end it here on a long, interesting note. But, don't worry, this isn't the last you'll hear from me!

* * *

The chair he slept in wasn't the most comfortable option available to him, but Ron was not going up to bed and leaving Hermione alone.

Ron had gotten Luna back to her tower safely and without any sort of interruption from Filch, Professors or younger students ready to snitch. His trip back to Gryffindor Tower had been equally uneventful, and he had been very glad for the lack of obstacles, for it meant that he could get back as soon as possible. He'd practically smashed his fist against the portrait of the Fat Lady to get her to wake up and let him in, before rushing into the common room and finding Hermione curled up on the couch in front of the fire, fast asleep.

Evidently, either Harry or Ginny had decided that it was the only sensible place to put her. Harry would not have been able to carry Hermione up the stairs without them turning into an amusement park attraction, and Ginny would not have been strong enough to carry Hermione's dead weight all they way up to her dormitory. If they simply let her sleep down there, people would naturally assume Hermione had dozed off while spending another late night up doing revision.

So, without a second thought, Ron had sat himself down in the massive red armchair adjacent to her and protectively watched her sleep. And as he did so, he thought about many things, including all that had transpired between the two of them in such a short about of time.

But, somewhere along the line, he must have finally given into his exhaustion and worry and fallen asleep, for he now found himself slowly slipping back into consciousness with an ache up his back.

Ron groaned and looked down at himself. He has slipped right down into the seat, his head almost level with his knees. His shirt was crumpled, his hair was sticking up at the back and there was a long drop of drool hanging from the corner of his mouth. He straightened up to ease the pressure on his back, wiped his mouth with his sleeve and looked out the window at the sky. It was still fairly dark, but it must have been close to morning, as light was turning the black sky into an array of reds and oranges.

He wrapped his arms around himself, thinking wistfully of his bed and its warm covers and soft mattress. It had not been a very good night's sleep for his muscles. They were cramped, but were easing as he stretched them.

He heaved a big yawn, ruffled his hair from the back to restore some order to its messiness and looked around at Hermione to see if she was still sleeping soundly.

But he was quite shocked to see her wide awake, watching him with a calm stare.

She was sitting upright, her legs curled up under her with Crookshanks dozing in her lap with a soft snore as she scratched him behind the ear with one fingernail. Her bushy hair framed her face and she looked very well rested, as if she'd spent a month in deep, refreshing slumber.

He smiled and rubbed his eyes. "Morning."

"Good morning.' She giggled.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked, stretching his long legs out for a moment and then flopping back down into the chair.

Hermione nodded. "Better than I have in a long while actually."

"You been awake long?"

She shrugged and looked down at Crookshanks. "I don't know; it seems like I've just been sitting here in one long moment.' She took a moment to pause in thought, before smiling to herself. 'I've been thinking."

Ron scratched the morning stubble along his jaw. 'What about?"

"Everything. My predicament, what I've been through this past fortnight…all that I've said, and all that I've done."

"You're regretting it.' He said. It wasn't a question.

She looked up at him, her expression one of slight surprise. "No, you see, that's the twist in the plot…I'm _not_ regretting it. Well, you know… the lap dance I think I could have gone without experiencing, but the rest I'm actually thankful for. Somehow, I needed to do all those things. I've wanted to be like that for so long."

Ron rose out of his chair and moved over to the sofa. He flopped down beside her and she leant against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Tell me what it was like."

"What, giving a lap dance?"

"No! Not having any inhibition or worry."

Hermione smiled and let her ginger cat leap off her lap onto the floor. Even Ron, who always seemed impassive to most concerning things, actually did worry about his homework and what people thought of him and other silly little things. He could scarcely imagine what it must feel like to not have the emotion within him anymore.

"If you ever get the chance to experience it, do so.' She said. 'I can't really explain it they way it deserves to be explained."

"Try."

Hermione sighed and thought for a moment of how best to describe the feeling. "Have you ever experienced a single moment in your life where you feel nothing but peace? No pain, physical or emotional, no obligation or need or stress?"

Ron nodded. "Yeah…when I'm asleep."

She giggled. "That moment where you linger between sleep and wakefulness. Where you're still alert enough to know what you're doing and where you are, but doped enough not to care about anything. It's like that, but all the time. You don't feel that anything is of much importance unless you want it to be so. Without worry or concern, you allow other emotions you didn't even realize you had come to the surface to take priority. It's just such a wonderful feeling of freedom and relief and peace that you don't ever want it to end."

Ron kissed the top of her head softly. "I bet that was an extra-special feeling for you, considering how much energy you spend worrying your knickers off on a daily basis."

"That's one way to put it I suppose." She laughed. "I know that I probably should be upset or irritated that this happened to me, but in a way I find myself grateful."

"_Grateful_?"

"Yes, grateful! I would not have been able to say or do half the things I did if it wasn't for this potion. I wouldn't have leant how to dress accordingly to the weather, I wouldn't have gone to that nightclub ever… and I wouldn't have been able to tell you how much I care about you."

Ron looked at her. "You wouldn't have?"

"No, of course not! I was not inclined to tell you any time soon, as a matter of fact.' She said. 'And honestly, would you really have told me without something to give you a little push?"

"Er…no, probably not."

"Exactly. We would have spent the next few years butting heads and lulling in a steely indifference to the way we really felt until it drove us mad and we cracked."

Ron snorted. "That, or the sexual frustration finally shoved us together."

"Yeah, that too I suppose." She sighed and folded her arms over her chest, staring pensively into the dying fireplace for a moment. "It's definitely opened my eyes, you know? I always thought people were a bit unmotivated by taking 'time out' from the pressures of school and work to relax. But now I see that if you don't, it can make you sick. I just need to find that balance in my life."

"Finally, you're learning." He laughed.

Hermione slapped him playfully in the chest. She exhaled slowly and summoned up that peace that only a few hours ago had come to her so easily. It took a surprising amount of energy to give herself permission to shut down, even for just a few moments. She'd been so well conditioned to always be on top, and her mind had always been focused on what she was doing, what she should be doing, or what was coming next.

She took in another deep, calming breath and let it out slowly. "Happiness keeps you sweet, trails keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failures keep you humble, success keeps you glowing…but only God keeps going." She recited with a grin.

Ron blinked and looked at her. "What was _that_?"

"Something my father used to say to me when I was little, every night before I went to bed.' She said, reminiscing. 'I never really understood what it all meant, or why he was saying it to me. But I think it all kind of makes sense to me now."

He smiled and she moved around, swinging one leg over his knees so she sat in his lap facing him, straddling him. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him warmly.

"I'm glad it's like this." He said, stroking her hair.

"Mmmm, me too.' She mumbled into his neck.

"And to think,' he said, grimacing at the thought. 'It was all because of Pansy Parkinson."

Hermione laughed and sat back on his knees so she could look at him. "Oh, how I long for the day when that skeasy wench gets her much needed come-upance."

"What are you going to do about all this?" he asked. "You're Head Girl after all…you should report her."

"No, that wont satisfy me." Said Hermione, looking off into space with a secretive smirk.

Ron arched his eyebrows. "And what _will_ satisfy you?"

"Nothing you can give me. Well, that is…' she said, giving him a soft, lingering, teasing kiss on the mouth. 'At least not yet."

He laughed, feeling that stirring in his stomach again. Was this the balance she was talking about? Without the potion as leverage, he would not have expected her to act so seductive.

Not that he was about to complain, of course.

"Well, what _are_ you going to do about her then?" he asked, trying not to get excited down south.

Hermione smiled. "Oh, nothing you need to worry about my dear. It's the simple, old age solution for any having trouble with an arch nemesis."

Ron watched as she slipped off his lap, stood up, stretched and headed toward the girls staircase. "Which is?" he called after her.

"Vengeance, Ronald.' She said, giving him a smirk over her shoulder. 'Sweet, sweet vengeance."

---------------

Pansy was coming out of the girl's toilets when it happened.

It was nearing dinner time, and she'd been in the bathroom for the past fifteen minutes, fixing up her make-up and straightening her hair with the new charms she had learnt from the latest issue of _Teen Witch Weekly_. But, Myrtle had very inconveniently decided to come in and annoy her, so with a few finishing touches, Pansy had completed her beauty regime and exited the bathroom before she decided to hex Myrtle into the next world for good.

She slung her robes on her arm and walked swiftly down the hallway. She was meant to meet Millicent, so the two of them could hurry down and get a front row seat and witness the latest development in the Granger situation.

_Its all just too bloody hilarious to pass up!_ she thought with a smirk.

Since day one, the two Slytherin girls had found the changes in Granger to be most amusing. Watching her fall apart piece by piece had become a very good way to spend their free time, and Pansy was looking forward to seeing how far this potion could take Granger. Showing up late for class, back-chatting teachers and becoming a slag were only the beginnings.

She tucked her short black hair behind her ear and headed right for the stairs…when a hand reached out, grabbed her arm and yanked her quite forcefully into a classroom.

Pansy cried out in surprise and shock as she stumbled into a table, hitting her hip hard on it. She heard the door slam shut behind her, and she spun around, leaning heavily against the desk to see who her assailant was.

"You!" she spat.

Hermione smiled sweetly at Pansy and folded her arms over her chest. "Who were you expecting?"

Pansy scowled at the nerve, before she spotted another person step out from behind the door. "Oh, what, you can't face me without at least one Weasley beside you?" she snapped.

Ginny Weasley snorted and pulled her wand out of her pocket. "Shut your mouth, Pansy, before I shut it for you."

"Kiss my ass, Weasley!"

"I'll do something to your arse in a minute if you don't shut your trap.' Growled Ginny

Remembering the fact that she too had a wand, Pansy scrambled around to the back of the desk and whipped her wand out of the robes she had been carrying.

Hermione laughed. "Oh look, she has a wand.' She said patronizingly advancing slowly. 'How very quaint."

"You stay away from me, Mudblood, or I'll…"

But Pansy didn't get to finish her sentence, for in that moment; Hermione closed the distance between them at a very alarming rate and, amazingly, snatched Pansy's wand out of her hand and tossed it over her shoulder to Ginny. Pansy could do nothing but gape as Hermione waved her wand, summoning a chair behind Pansy, and then pushing Pansy back down into it.

"Have a seat.' Said Hermione with a smirk.

"How _dare_ you touch me.' Snarled Pansy, moving to get up. But Hermione simply waved her wand again wordlessly, and Pansy was flung back down into the chair. The next tome she tried to sit up, she found herself stuck to the seat and quite unable to move anything but her shoulders and head. 'What is the meaning of all this, Granger?"

"I think you know." Said Hermione. She was very calm, as if she and Pansy were old friends, discussing the weather over coffee.

Pansy frowned and looked at the brunette in front of her. She looked different somehow, and Pansy could tell instantly that she knew about what had been going on. Not only that, but she had been brought back to normal. _But how?_ She wondered wildly. But it really didn't matter in that moment. Hermione was looking down at her with a heavy air of authority, and if she were anyone else, Pansy would have been intimidated. But he was not about to relent control to a Mudblood…especially not this one.

"Release me at once." Demanded Pansy again.

"Or what?' laughed Hermione, placing her hands on her hips. 'You are in no situation to be making unsubstantial threats to me, Pansy."

Pansy glared up at Hermione with all the hate she could muster, loathing that she was in such a situation. She could see Ginny moving around behind Hermione, lurking in the background and ready to jump in if she was needed.

"What the fuck do you want, Granger?" snarled Pansy, thrashing against her invisible binds to try and attack the Gryffindor in front of her.

Hermione's grin widened. "Well, it's all rather simple actually. I want you to go to McGonagall and confess to her that you brewed an illegal substance, gave it to me under false pretences and in turn endangered my life."

Pansy almost laughed her request was that ludicrous. "Illegal substance? I have no idea what you're on about."

Hermione eyes narrowed a little as she thought for a moment, and then reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a little vial with red, swirling liquid inside. Pansy felt her stomach clench. Surely she hadn't made her own Inhibition potion as well? And if so, what was she going to do with it? It took all Pansy's self control to force her expression not to give herself away.

"I don't suppose you know what this is, do you?" she asked, examining the vial idly.

"Never seen it before in my entire life." Said Pansy definitely.

"Really?" said Hermione, her eyebrows arching.

"Yes, really! Now let me go you…"

Pansy thrashed some more, making the chair buckle forward a little, but Hermione simply took her foot and planted it in the space between Pansy's legs to hold the chair in place and stop her moving.

"Ah ah, not so fast." Said Hermione. "Lets talk some more about this."

"About _what_?"

"About you giving me an Inhibition Potion which, if you had researched enough before you went ahead and brewed the bloody thing, you would know is as illegal to brew at Hogwarts as it is to make Ecstasy tablets at primary school."

Pansy frowned. "You're mad, Granger.' She hissed.

"Possibly, yes. But it makes life more colourful."

"Why would I give you an Inhibition potion?"

"Pansy, if I knew the way your mind worked, I would have booked myself in to see a shrink several years ago.' Said Hermione, giving Pansy a look.

Pansy snorted. "You think my entire life revolves around _you_?'

"I don't know, you tell me."

"You really must have taken something illegal if you think for a minute that…"

But, once again, Pansy didn't get to finish, as Hermione leant in very close to her face, her foot still holding the chair down, getting into Pansy's face.

"I know you did it. That night I saw you at rounds. You dropped this vial at my feet, no doubt thinking it would be rather funny to see the stuck-up bookworm loose her cool and go a bit A-wall for a while.' She snarled in a low voice. 'You're going to admit what you did, and we're not leaving this room until you do."

Pansy frowned, for once actually feeling a little intimidated by Granger. Her calm demeanor had all but vanished, and her aura was pulsating with a 'don't screw with me' vibe. Pansy guessed that it was the last thing Draco saw before Granger smacked him across the face back in third year.

She shifted and looked away defiantly. "You've got nothing on me."

Hermione sighed, feeling it a little ironic that she herself had been in Pansy's position just last night. She sent a silent thanks to Ron for his inspiration, before taking the vial out again.

"Do I have to force you?" asked Hermione.

Pansy eyed the vial cautiously. She wouldn't really…?

Hermione sighed impatiently. "Pansy, I'm tired, I'm behind in three classes and I'm rather dreadfully hung-over. Now you either admit to me what you did, or your innermost desires are going to be out in the open for everyone to see."

"I don't have to tell you shite, Mudblood."

Ginny started forward, her wand raised angrily as if she was about to attack Pansy in Hermione's defense, but Hermione, held up a hand and shook her head. Ginny, taking Hermione's hint, lowered her wand but kept a firm glare focused on the restrained Slytherin.

Pansy smirked as Hermione flashed the vial at her again. "You wouldn't have the guts to drop that."

Hermione smiled. "No, you're right. I probably wouldn't."

And then, the vial 'slipped' out of Hermione's hand and smashed to the floor.

Pansy looked down at the potion in horror. The red liquid spilt across the floor, soaking into the soles of her shoes. She looked up at the Head Girl before her, quite unable to say anything.

Hermione simple shrugged. "Whoops."

"_Whoops?_" cried Pansy. "You bitch! Merlin's _beard_, Granger… do you even realize what you've just _done_?"

"What's more important here, is that _you _realize what it is I've just done.'

Pansy shook her head. "I don't know what you hope to gain from doing that."

"Well, I imagine now that without the ability to inhibit yourself, you'll be more than willing to boast about how you fed me an Inhibition potion to the first person you run across.' Said Hermione. 'And if I have anything to do with it, that person shall be Professor McGonagall!"

"There's no way I'll open my mouth to anyone, Granger." sneered Pansy. She was completely appalled by what was happening to her. "You can bet your pretty little Gryffindor arse on that. Potion or no potion, my lips are sealed like a Gringotts vault. I've already bragged, and no longer feel any desire to do so. No-one will betray me in my house…I can assure you of that."

Hermione just arched her eyebrows, and if Pansy didn't know better, she would have guessed that Hermione was actually smug about something. But Pansy couldn't care less at the moment; all she wanted to do was get back to that book and figure out the antidote. She had seen first hand what this potion could do to people if left in their system long enough, and there were many secrets she didn't wish to share with people.

There was a long moment of silence in which the two brunettes just looked at each other with contempt, before Hermione smiled and pulled her wand out. Pansy flinched, afraid that she was going to do something more to her, but she simply waved her wand at the broken shards of glass on the floor. They flew up into her hand and repaired themselves, forming a perfectly made, empty vial once more. Then, still keeping her eyes on Pansy, Hermione raised her wand to her temple, spaced out for a moment, and when she pulled her wand away there was a single, silvery thread hanging from it.

Pansy frowned. "What…what are you doing?"

Hermione slipped the tendril of a memory into the vial and corked it shut. 'Preserving the evidence against you, Pansy. I'm sure McGonagall will me most interested to see your confession for herself."

"My _confession_?"

"Oh yes. But don't worry, I wont be showing it to her just yet.' Said Hermione with a smirk. 'I'm rather enjoying watching you fret over the 'potion' I just gave you."

Pansy frowned, a dark suspicion rising in her chest as Hermione's grin widened. There was something about the way Hermione had said it. "What do you mean?' she asked in a low voice. 'What was in that potion?"

"Oh, just the basic ingredients of sugar, fruit extracts, H2O and a few others things.' Said Hermione. When Pansy just looked at her blankly, Hermione snorted and leant into Pansy's space again. 'In other words…red cordial."

Pansy was speechless as she watched Hermione take a few steps back, her hands on her hips and the vial tucked securely away in her pocket. So she, Hermione, had tricked her into giving a confession in not so many words…all with a stupid vial of red cordial! Now that she thought about it, when the vial had smashed, she had not seen any vapor rise up out of the ruins of glass. She had been too appalled to think about anything but what would happen to her if she had been infected.

"You know, Pansy, in some ways I should be thanking you for what you did to me.' Said Hermione, now back to her calm tones of superiority. 'If it weren't for you, I never would have gotten together with Ron. You're superb potion has changed my life for the better."

Pansy clenched her jaw and glared up at Hermione, mortified that she had not in fact ruined Granger's life like she had planned. "I'll get you for this." She snarled.

"Oh I'm sure you will.' Said Hermione, heading for the door. 'Anything less than a vow of revenge as I bask in your downfall and I would have been very disappointed."

And with that said, Hermione gave Pansy one last sweet smile, took Ginny's hand and left the room completely, leaving Pansy alone and still bound securely to her seat.

Hermione and Ginny walked swiftly down the hallway in silence. Ginny almost had to jog to keep up with Hermione's quick, determined strides. It was as if Hermione felt the need to get away from the scene of the crime as quickly as possible.

Once out of earshot, Hermione took the vial out of her pocket and handed it to Ginny. "Get this into Harry's Pensieve and show what it contains to as many people as you trust."

"What? Why?"

"Because, chances are that Pansy will try to steal that memory and destroy it as soon as possible. The more people there is that saw it, the lesser chance there is for her to wipe clean the evidence." Said Hermione. She was being rather business-like, as if it were an every day duty to imprison students and get confessions out of them.

Ginny snorted, pocketed the memory and looked at Hermione with a new found admiration. "You just kick arse, Hermione, have I told you that lately?"

Hermione smirked as they turned a corner. "No, but you needn't bother. I know how wonderful I am."

Ginny laughed. "Modesty is such a wonderful trait now adays."

Without saying anything, Hermione simply took out her wand and waved it over her shoulder, silently casting the spell to release Pansy.

----------------

"Where are you off to then?"

Ron looked up from buttoning up his shirt over to Harry's bed, where his best friend was currently lounging while flicking through his photo album…something he liked to do when he had a lot on his mind. "Just going to sweep my new girlfriend off her feet."

Harry snorted. "I never thought I'd see the day when the word 'girlfriend' in your vocabulary referred to Hermione."

"I know – weird." Said Ron, shivering.

Harry smiled and closed his album shut. "It only took you, what... three years to work it into your thick head?"

"Shut it, tosser. It took you longer to work it out about my little sister."

"But I was quicker at getting to the point about it."

"Yeah, by grabbing her and snogging her in front of the whole bloody tower.' Laughed Ron, throwing a sock at Harry's head.

Harry ducked it and laughed. "Look, as Hermione's rather adoptive brother I really should do my duty, sit you down under a spotlight and demand that you take care of her like Bill did to me about Ginny…but I don't feel the need. I'm glad for the two of you. I really am."

Ron smiled at him. "Thanks mate."

"It's good that you can have that with someone, you know. Someone to stand with and care for.' Continued Harry, almost to himself. 'Especially now with everything going on."

Ron, who had been doing up the button of his jeans, looked up at Harry and frowned. Harry was looking into space with a thoughtful expression, and there was almost and envious tone to his voice. "What are you on about?"

Harry blinked and looked at Ron. "Sorry?"

"Mate, you _had _someone you could stand with.' Said Ron. 'You had her and you let her go. You had what Hermione and I have…maybe even stronger or better! And you went ahead and pushed it all side."

"I had my reasons for doing that, Ron,' said Harry. 'You know that and so did Ginny."

"Yeah, and on some level I kind of get why you did it. But, no offence Harry, it was a rather block-headed thing to do."

Harry frowned and straightened up. "What?"

Ron sighed and ran a hand through his hair, knowing this was probably none of his business, but feeling an obligation to explain to Harry what was no-one else's place to. "Harry, I understand what its like to be scared for the people you care about. I think that maybe that's why I pushed Hermione away…you know, kept her at arms length. War does that to people I guess. Makes them cautious. Makes them nervous and practical."

"Our situations are most definitely not the same, Ron.' Said Harry shortly. 'You don't have some crazed maniac out of world domination out to get you."

"Don't I?" retorted Ron, arching his eyebrows. "This war isn't just about you, Harry. Its about oppression and power and about those who want to stand up enough to the people who try to take advantage of it. And believe me, you're not the only one in this castle who wants that bastard dead.' Ron and Harry just looked at each other for a moment, before Ron blew air through his lips and shoved his hands in his pockets. 'But we're not talking about Him here; we're talking about you and Ginny."

"Tell me you wouldn't have done the same.' Said Harry, getting to his feet. 'Tell me where you in my shoes, you wouldn't have taken Hermione out of the picture to spare her."

"Hermione's in the fire line anyway, and so is Ginny…regardless of who they keep company with! Even poor, defenseless muggles are in on it!' said Ron. 'It's a fact, Harry. I don't like it; none of us do! I want to take everyone I love deep underground for the next decade until this is all over, just so I'll be sure they won't fall victim to any of these senseless murders. But _think_ about it, Harry – if you were going to be fighting a war that no-one could escape no matter what you did or said…wouldn't you want the person you cared about most somewhere where you could see them and protect them, rather than miles away where you couldn't?"

Harry clenched his jaw in thought, his green eyes boring into Ron for a long moment before they dropped to the floor. Really, Harry hadn't though about any of it like this.

Ron closed the distance between them and clapped Harry reassuringly on the back. "Look, you don't have to listen to a word I'm saying. But that asshole's already ruined your life so much and taken away so many of the people you care about – don't let this be another thing he screws up for you. If you want Ginny, then go back to her… but don't screw her around."

Harry looked up at Ron and frowned slightly in indecision. "What if she won't take me back?"

"Trust me, she will." Snorted Ron. "But, just remember what I told you last time; you break her heart…"

"And you break my legs. Yeah, I remember." Harry ruffled his hair and smiled at Ron in disbelief. "When did you become so serious and full of advice?"

"Puh-lease. With Hermione on the fritz, _someone_ had to step up and take charge.' Said Ron. He sighed happily and rubbed his hands together. 'Speaking of her highness, I have a date to get to."

Harry pursed his lips in a smile and watched Ron cross to the door. "Oh, hey Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Listen, um, about what you just said…I just…"

Ron smiled from the doorway to the boy's dorm. "Just forget it, alright?"

Harry nodded and smiled. "Sure, no problem."

-------------------

"Ron, honestly, where the devil are you taking me?"

"For a walk."

"Uh huh…and is blindfolding your friend on a leisurely walk around the castle an unknown Weasley tradition?"

Ron smiled and looked down at Hermione again to see the black cloth still securely covering her eyes as he led her down the hallway by her hand. "Just relax, my love, everything is in order."

"I can't relax." She said stubbornly, stamping a foot as he led her up another flight of stairs. 'I'm being led around the castle by _you_, completely _blindfolded_, to lord-knows where…'

"What's that?' he laughed, kissing her hand. 'Don't you trust me?"

"No, it's not that.' She sighed. 'It's just…I just…'

"You just hate being out of control – yes, I know." He smiled. This had been the main reason he had blindfolded her in the first place. He wanted to test how much she really was back to her old self.

And her constant complaining from the Great Hall all the way up to the seventh floor had been a good enough indicator of her retuned normalcy.

Hermione pursed her lips, softly stroking his knuckles with her thumb as he continued to pull her along. "Can't you just tell me where it is we're going?"

"No, for the four hundredth and fifty seventh time this minute, I can not tell you.' He said flatly.

"Just please tell me we're not going to the Astronomy Tower, because that's the cheesiest place you could possibly take anyone on a first date, I'll have you know, Ronald Bilius Wealsey."

Ron stopped in his tracks and looked down at her in suspicion. "What makes you think I'm taking you there?"

"Well, we're on the seventh floor, aren't we?"

Even though she was blindfolded and half her face was hidden, he could still make out the smug expression on her face.

"How the blazes did you know we're on the seventh floor?"

"I've been counting the staircases."

"You've been _what_?"

"And the only place I know of that would be acceptable to take…now, how did you put it…oh yeah, 'a bird who you've been wanting to snog for a few years now', is the Astronomy Tower. You know, I don't even know why they still call it that. Its not like people go there to look at stars, more like they go there to look at their partners…"

"No, Hermione, we're not going up there." Said Ron, cutting her off.

"Then where _are_ we going?"

"You'll see! Now belt up, will you?"

Hermione sighed in defeat and, very reluctantly, relinquished control to him. It was at times like this that she wished she didn't have that sense of worry about her anymore. Obviously Ron wanted to surprise her with something, but she just couldn't help herself; she had to know what was going on. Only just the other night she would have been more than content to simply let him guide her around the castle blindfolded; getting back into that state of mind without the potion was going to take some practice.

"Almost there.' Said Ron. 'You're not peeking, are you?"

"You charmed this blindfold on yourself so that I couldn't peek!"

"Oh yeah, so I did."

He led her around another few corners in silence before they finally came to a stop. Ron guided Hermione a few steps to her left by her shoulders and quickly kissed her. "Just wait here for a second, okay? And no more questions!" he added just as she opened her mouth to enquire about something.

She inwardly rolled her eyes and let her arms flop as his footsteps receded slightly. "Ron, I don't mean to be all jerky while you're trying very hard to be all sensitive and mushy, but it's almost curfew."

"So?" came his voice somewhere to her left. "You're Head Girl."

"Yes, and?"

"And the usual rules don't apply to you. You're allowed to be out as long as you want."

Hermione thought for a moment on this, before smirking. "But, isn't that abusing my position?'

"I don't know…probably. Right, here we go!' He grabbed her shoulders again from behind and guided her forward a few steps. 'Now just don't flip out when I show you this, okay?"

"What? Ron, what have you…?"

But before she even finished her sentence, he had whipped the blindfold off her. She only had a second to cast a glance around, before he pushed open the door in front of them revealing the most extraordinary sight she had ever seen in the castle.

"Oh. My. God." She muttered, putting a hand to her mouth.

She was standing on the threshold of a nightclub. It was a huge expanse of space, just like the one she had been at only the night before. There were coloured lights flashing and there was smoke rising above the dance floor. The bar, the booths…it was all the same. Except for there were two little differences from its double in London; the room before her was completely empty of people and silent of music.

"Oh, Ron." She sighed happily.

Ron shoved his hands in his pocket and looked over her shoulder into the room he had created. "Hey, not bad!"

"You made this for me?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like it! You know, considering I rather rudely pulled you away from the other one.' Said Ron apologetically. 'I mean, I know it's not the same thing…no massive orgy for one thing…"

"No, it's wonderful.' She giggled, leaning up and giving him a kiss. 'You're so sweet."

Ron's eyes widened and he covered her mouth. "Shh, don't say stuff like that – people will hear!"

Hermione laughed and the two of them walked into the Room of Requirement together, shutting the door firmly behind them so as not to be disturbed. It made the room suddenly so quiet for some reason, and it seemed a little eerie and somehow wrong to be in such a room without at least any music.

"Er, not to put a damper on the moment _again_,' said Hermione, looking around. 'But is there anything we can do about this music situation?

Ron shrugged and smiled at her. "You tell me."

Hermione frowned in thought for a moment, and then a second later very loud music began playing. Ron winced at the sudden blast of noise, but Hermione simple smiled and pulled her wand out. He opened his mouth to ask her what she was going to do, but she had already pointed it at him and flicked it upward. Instantly, his track pants and sweater transformed into a pair of jeans and shirt. He smiled as she then cast the same spell upon herself, putting her back in those jeans and halter top she had worn last time.

"Oh, how I've missed seeing you two." He said over the noise, admiring the perfect view he now had of her boobs.

Hermione smiled and looked up toward the ceiling as he closed the distance between them and ran his hands possessively up her sides. This had been the only time the two of them had been alone together all day, and as such she was more than happy to let him familiarize himself with her torso once more, just as she knew she would need a refresher course in a few minutes time.

Ron took her hand, led her down to the middle of the dance floor, and the two of them began dancing slowly together with the steady beat of the song Hermione had chosen. She wasn't as bold with her hips as she had been, but that was alright…he hadn't expected her to be. He didn't really mind either. He'd known her to be this way for so long; getting to know that other side of her was going to take more time than a week or so.

The music changed again to a slower, more intimate tune, and Hermione put her head on his chest. "I like us like this."

"Sure beats screaming bloody murder at each other."

"You know, I always imagined me telling you off was some sort of a fetish for you." She smiled.

Ron blushed; glad she couldn't see his face. "What on earth gave you that idea?"

"Oh, I don't know. Only the fact that you seem to pick fights with me at any opportunity given to you, and that you're probably the only guy in the entire world that looks forward to my time of the month, knowing in advance I have the temperament of an antagonized panther. Not to mention I always saw you 'conveniently' skip off hurriedly to another room after some of out little spats." She added with a sly smirk.

"You are way too observant for your own good, you know that?" said Ron, horrifically embarrassed.

"Its one of my best qualities." She said, giving him a quick kiss.

Ron wrapped his arms around her shoulder as she wrapped hers around his middle. They embraced as they swayed together, just enjoying a few silent moments along together. It was a relief just to be able to hold one another and, for the time being, forget about the terrors going on in the outside world, forget about the week that they had just had and be able to just enjoy each other's company.

As if sensing his thoughts, Hermione looked up at him. "What's the matter?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing. Just…thinking, I guess."

"About what?"

Ron smiled down at her. "What I would do without you."

"Oh, suffer endlessly no doubt."

He laughed and twirled her. "Are you still upset? You know, about being back this way?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "No, not really. At the time, you know, I didn't want to do it. But while I was thinking about it this morning, I realized that that part of me isn't gone…it's just pushed aside. All I need to do is learn how to get 'Nutzo Hermione' back when I want her."

Ron snorted. "_Nutzo Hermione_?"

"According to Neville."

He smiled as she snuggled into him again, the song changing once more into another mellow song around them. "You know…I would have stuck with you, even if you had decided not to take that potion."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, of course! I mean, sure, you would have been totally mental and uncontrollable…but then you'd be no different than you are now. Just mellower."

Hermione snorted. "Is this some sort of Weasley, male tradition in the art of wooing girls? Because if it is, let me be the first to tell you that you are not a very romantic race of people."

Ron sighed and smiled. "No its…it's not like that. I'm trying to say something and it's not coming out right."

"Just say it then. Don't dress it up with fancy words."

Ron looked down at her and bit his lip. How the hell was he meant to sum up seven years worth of feeling and emotion into one, simple sentence? And with his big, fumbling tongue, how was he meant to converse it to her with the right amount of grace it deserved?

After a very long moment, he smiled and shrugged. "I like you."

Hermione grinned. "Well, that's a start."

"Alright then…I like you a lot."

"Oh, you mean aside from my Nazi-like attitude towards homework, my appalling sleeping habits, my infuriating stubbornness towards Elf rights and my constant nagging in your ear?" she said, joking.

"No, I like you a lot.' He said, completely serious. 'Just as you are."

Hermione blinked, surprised at such a declaration. It was so unlike him to say something to profound. He was normally very awkward with expressing such things, especially to her. Where had that uncouth, gawky, immature and sometimes inarticulate boy she had met seven years ago on the Hogwarts Express gone to? When had he become so…grown up?

She smiled and stroked his cheek with her thumb. "Now that's romantic."

He grinned, satisfied that he had done something right, and kissed her, feeling content to do so for many more nights from now on.

Just as she was getting into it, he pulled back with a disgusted expression on his face. "What is it? I'm not that bad at kissing, am I?"

"What? No! No, of course you're not. It's just…"

"Just what?"

He grimaced again. "Do we _really_ owe our current state of happiness all to Pansy Parkinson and her vindictive, meddling nature?"

Hermione snorted, imaging what Pansy was doing now. "Sadly, I fear we do."

Ron shrugged, thought hard for a moment and then changed the song to the up-beat one he and Hermione had first danced together to the night before. He grabbed her waist and pulled her right up against him, showing off some more of his moves that he couldn't previously have shown her.

"Aw well,' he shrugged, kissing her softly. 'It could have turned out worse."

* * *

A/N – and there, my beauties, is where we end. I could have taken this story on for ages but, as I said before, I want to finish this on a high note. Surely your imaginations can fill in the blanks of the future! And yes, my Bridget Jones reference was probably a sin against literature, but I so badly wanted to put it in there. Thank you all for reading, and keep an eye out for me in the future.

Please review!


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